Construction worker jailed for life for killing bus driver after smoking dispute

A construction worker has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a man who confronted him about smoking while they were waiting for a lift at a private housing estate in Hong Kong.

A High Court jury on Tuesday found Tam Yun-chiu, 52, guilty of killing Ho Lok-man after hearing that he repeatedly punched the victim in the face, knocked him to the ground and kicked his head on the podium floor of Amoy Gardens in Kowloon Bay on September 19, 2023.

Ho, a 48-year-old bus driver at the time, became embroiled in a dispute with Tam after reprimanding him for smoking while they waited for the lift.

Security camera footage showed Tam following Ho after the pair left the lift. He began the assault by pushing Ho against a railing before repeatedly kicking him in the head after he fell to the ground.

Tam then left Ho lying on the floor, unresponsive. After regaining consciousness, Ho called an ambulance and was taken to hospital. He was discharged the following day.

Shortly after returning home, however, Ho began vomiting and lost consciousness. He was taken back to hospital, where he underwent emergency brain surgery.

Ho died in hospital on October 1. An autopsy found that his cause of death was a head injury.

In a police statement, Tam admitted attacking Ho, saying he rarely got into arguments but had been enraged by the victim’s attitude that day.

“He was swearing at me, so I lost it and hit him,” Tam said.

After the verdict, Mrs Justice Judianna Barnes Wai-ling imposed the mandatory life sentence, describing the case as tragic.

She said Tam came from a good background but had nevertheless committed a serious offence of murder.