A father and his two sons have appeared in court accused of murdering and dismembering a model whose remains were found in a soup pot in Hong Kong.
Police discovered parts of Abby Choi’s mutilated body at a house in Lung Mei Tsuen, in the city’s suburbs in February 2023.
Her legs were found in a refrigerator, while her skull and several ribs were discovered in the soup pot.
Ms Choi, a 28-year-old influencer with more than 140,000 Instagram followers, had shared photos from Paris Fashion Week just days before she was killed.
Her ex-husband Alex Kwong, his father Kwong Kau and his brother Anthony Kwong pleaded not guilty to murder charges, judge Brian Keith told a nine-person jury on Wednesday.
The three defendants, who face life in prison if convicted, appeared calm during the hearing.
All three are also accused of preventing the lawful burial of a body. Alex and Anthony Kwong pleaded guilty to that charge.
Ms Choi had two children with Alex Kwong, but later divorced him and married Chris Tam, with whom she had two more children.
Prosecutors told the court on Wednesday that Ms Choi and her ex-husband’s family had financial disputes over a luxury property she had bought for them.
Police discovered parts of Abby Choi’s mutilated body at a house in Lung Mei Tsuen, in the city’s suburbs in February 2023
Her legs were found in a refrigerator, while her skull and several ribs were discovered in the soup pot
They said they believed Ms Choi had decided to register the property under the name of her former father-in-law years ago to avoid paying higher taxes.
Prosecution lawyer Charlotte Draycott told the court that Ms Choi’s relationship with the Kwong family began to deteriorate in 2022 after she tried to sell the luxury flat, for which she had paid HK$60 million ($7.65 million).
Prosecutors said Kwong Kau, a 68-year-old retired police sergeant, had become ‘extremely resentful and angry’ over the attempt to sell the flat.
They said he decided to kill Ms Choi because he wanted to keep the flat and that he and his sons decided to work together.
‘We say three of them decided they would do it together,’ said Draycott, adding that each of them ‘played a part’ in Ms Choi’s death and burying her body in a suburban house.
Ms Choi’s death was widely reported in the city, where violent crime is relatively rare.
The trial, which adjourned until Friday, is expected to last until December.
Ms Choi’s last post featured a photoshoot she had done with L’Officiel Monaco, a fashion publication.
Mr Tam said he was very thankful to have had Ms Choi in his life and praised her for being supportive, friend Pao Jo-yee said in a Facebook post.
‘When Abby was alive, she’s a very kind person and always wanted to help people,’ he was quoted in the post. ‘I feel anyone who could be her family and friends are blessed.’
Ms Pao, who is married to Mr Cheng, told the Associated Press that she had known Ms Choi for over seven years and she treated people around her well.
‘She is that type of person that wouldn’t have enemies,’ she said.
Mr Cheng said Ms Choi had very good relationships with her family members and would travel with the families of her current and former husbands together.
Ms Choi’s father-in-law is a founder of one of the city’s famous noodle chains, local newspaper The Standard reported.
