Mechanic Jailed For 8 Years Over Fatal Garage Blast

A 39-year-old mechanic has been sentenced to eight years in prison over the 2015 garage explosion in Wong Tai Sin that killed three people.

Lai Chun-ho was unanimously found guilty of three counts of manslaughter by a seven-member jury.

The High Court had heard that Lai didn’t have the required licence to repair a taxi’s LPG tank, and had failed to ensure there would be no leakage or accumulation of the gas in the area and prevent its ignition.

His employer, a taxi driver and a woman in a shop next to the garage were killed in the blast that occurred on April 26, four years ago.

Passing down the sentence, judge Judianna Barnes said the case was “shocking” as the defendant knowingly used an illegal way to remove the tank and let the gas out.

She said the garage’s shutter was almost completely closed to cover up the illegal act, which also led to an increase in concentration of the LPG gas inside.

While she accepted that the defendant was only following his employer’s orders and didn’t benefit from the act, the judge said Lai still has to shoulder the responsibility.

Barnes said the court needs to send a clear message to the society that repair work by unqualified people could be deadly, and those who break the law must be given a heavy sentence.

She deducted Lai’s sentence for a year to eight because of the delay in the trial, as the court waited for higher courts to address the legal elements of gross negligence causing manslaughter in another case.

After hearing the sentence, Lai and his family members, including his wife, burst into tears.

“Take care of yourself,” said his mum. “I will wait for you.”