Suspects bought meat mincer and electric saw before socialite’s murder, court hears

By Chris Lau, CNN

Hong Kong (CNN) — Days before Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi was killed, her father-in-law and brother-in-law allegedly went on an ominous shopping spree.

An electric saw, a meat mincer and a refrigerator were among the items they bought in preparation for the killing and disposal of the mother of four, prosecutors told a Hong Kong court Friday.

The gruesome 2023 murder of Choi, who rubbed shoulders with showbiz elites at fashion events and had a significant online following, sent shockwaves through the wealthy financial hub and made global headlines.

Only parts of Choi’s body were recovered, deepening the mystery at the time surrounding the violent death of the prominent young socialite.

Her ex-husband Alex Kwong, his brother Anthony Kwong and their father Kwong Kau have pleaded not guilty to her murder during a trial that is shedding new light on Choi’s final moments.

Lead prosecutor Charlotte Draycott told jurors on Friday that the model and influencer was struck repeatedly in the head with a hammer inside a car driven by her former brother-in-law, with her ex-husband also inside.

She had been on her way to pick up her daughter from school.

Prosectors allege planned attack

About two weeks before Choi’s death, Kwong Kau and his son Anthony Kwong, who also worked as Choi’s driver, were seen visiting several shops and buying an array of items directly linked to the murder, Draycott told the court.

The items included an electric saw, a meat mincer as well as some boxes and a refrigerator, along with a large chopping board, a giant saucepan and some deodorizing supplies. Parts of Choi’s body were later found inside the refrigerator, Draycott said.

A hammer bought by Anthony Kwong is believed to be the murder weapon, Draycott said, while Choi’s ex-husband allegedly borrowed from a friend the vehicle where the murder is said to have taken place, according to the prosecution.

“This is why we say this is a cogitated plan as each person played their part in getting the premises ready,” Draycott told the court.

On February 21, 2023, Choi was due to pick up her daughter from school.

Shortly before the planned school run, Anthony and Alex met at a Starbucks, where CCTV captured Anthony making a series of gestures that Draycott suggested may have foreshadowed the attack.

Footage showed him appearing to hold something down with both hands before moving his right arm up and down, the prosecutor said.

“You may interpret that [Anthony] was indicating to [Alex] how he could pull Abby’s head down,” she told jurors as they viewed the CCTV footage.

She added that Anthony later picked Choi up, while Alex joined the vehicle at another location. During the journey, Choi exchanged text messages with her mother-in-law. The messages stopped at 2:44 pm.

Draycott said Choi was then attacked with the hammer inside the vehicle. Jurors were shown the alleged weapon, along with autopsy photographs documenting Choi’s injuries.

“The blows were savage,” she told the court.

The white vehicle carrying Choi, according to Draycott, pulled up at a house in a rural area of Hong Kong, close to the border with mainland China. She added that Choi’s blood was found in the vehicle together with Alex and Anthony Kwong’s DNA.

Kwong Kau is alleged to have arranged to have rented the property.

“They were not worried. They were not upset. It’s what they expected,” the prosecutor said, as she showed footage of Kwong Kau clad in a surgical mask near the vehicle.

Later that day, a neighbor reported electric saw noises and an odor, Draycott said, adding that all items purchased by the father-in-law and the brother-in-law were eventually recovered in the village house.

Anthony Kwong and Kwong Kau were arrested days later while Alex was subsequently arrested at a ferry pier just before he tried to flee Hong Kong, Draycott said.

The trial continues Friday afternoon and is expected to last for eight weeks.

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