Dad Accused Of Murder Left 3-Month-Old Baby Unattended To 'Scare' His Wife

A Hong Kong man accused of murdering his 3-month-old baby has said he left the child unattended to "scare" his wife.

Cheung Ying-fai, 42, was accused of murdering his baby daughter, Cheung Ka-man, who was found dead on her bed on Aug. 23, 2018. The child's mother, Lo Yan-tung, 22, accused her husband of suffocating the baby when she left the home following an argument with him.

The couple reportedly abandoned Ka-man and went to mainland China, one after the other, following an argument on Aug. 21, 2018. Yan-tung returned on Aug.23, which was 37 hours later, and found the baby dead. She allegedly saw the baby lying dead on the bed with two pillows and a quilt over her purplish face and body. The apartment unit was found locked and she said no one else had access to the unit, reported local news outlet South China Morning Post.

Ying-fai was arrested on Oct. 7, 2018 on charges of manslaughter when he returned to Hong Kong. He now faces an elevated charge of first-degree murder, to which he has pleaded not guilty. The child neglect charges against Yan-tung have been dropped on the condition that she testifies against her husband.

Ying-fai told a court that he abandoned the baby to "copy" his wife's action. He also said he thought his wife would return home the same afternoon. "I didn't think anything would happen to the baby," he added.

Prosecutor told the court recently that the child's autopsy report suggested suffocation as the cause of death, along with dehydration and starvation.

The emergency call that Yan-tung made was played in the court. She said she believed Ying-fai would look after her daughter when she left home. "My husband suffocated my daughter to death at home. He used two pillows and a quilt to suffocate my daughter to death," the mother said.

The baby was found lying in a prone position. Li Chak-ho, a pediatrician for the prosecution, observed that the toddler cannot turn from a supine to prone position or grab heavy things like a pillow by herself.

Ying-fai told the court that he had placed the baby on her side in his bed without moving the pillows, which were left side by side at the head of the bed.

He said he delayed coming back to Hong Kong as he was shocked after hearing about the daughter's death.

"I felt very guilty that my daughter is dead. I reflected on my behavior and calmed down on the mainland. Now that all my money has been spent, I came back to surrender," he added, reported local news outlet The Standard.

Ying-fai admitted that he had committed a serious offense of child neglect by abandoning the baby. "I know it's a serious offense… I'm willing to shoulder the responsibility," he said.

He added he would have pleaded guilty if the charges were manslaughter. His trial continues in the High court.