Landmark Virtual Visit To Car Park In Inquest

The jury looking into the death of university student Chow Tsz-lok on Friday paid a virtual visit to the car park where the 22-year-old is believed to have fallen during an anti-government protest in November last year.

This is the first time Hong Kong courts have used virtual-reality technology in their hearings.

Chow died four days after he was found seriously injured in the car park in Tseung Kwan O amid clashes between police and protesters during the small hours of November 4.

At the Coroner’s Court, Cheng Yuk-ki, a senior government chemist facilitating the police investigation into the incident and serving as an expert witness in the inquest, presented life-sized 3D images of the car park on a big projector screen in a conference room used as a courtroom.

He had used a 3D scanner and camera to capture the environment of the multi-storey car park in April and September.

With the help of Cheng, coroner David Ko, the jurors and Chow's parents – wearing VR glasses – made virtual tours around the car park standing in front of the screen.

They paid special attention to the spot on the third floor where Chow is believed to have fallen over a wall to the second floor.

The hearing has been adjourned to December 28, when Cheng is expected to present a digital floor plan of the car park which would show the movements of Chow and others that night.

The floor plan was designed by Cheng and his team at the Government Laboratory based on CCTV footage from different surveillance cameras.