Hong Kong store owner stabbed inside his 7-Eleven in Yau Ma Tei dies
Proprietor succumbs to injuries after spending almost a week in hospital following knife attack
A convenience store owner stabbed by a thief last Tuesday was confirmed dead on Monday, prompting police to reclassify the case from attempted murder to murder.
The 38-year-old proprietor, Cheng Ka-pui, got into an argument with the suspect at a 7-Eleven in Yau Ma Tei after realising the latter was eating some chips from the store and trying to leave without paying.
The Vietnamese suspect, 32, allegedly stabbed Cheng in the chest, leaving him critically injured, before leaving.
READ MORE: Man arrested over Hong Kong 7-Eleven stabbing which saw store owner critically injured in fight over snacks
“The owner was certified dead on Monday afternoon at Queen Elizabeth Hospital,” a police spokesman said.
“A postmortem examination will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death,” he added.
The arrested suspect, who holds Canadian citizenship, had been accused of attempted murder and appeared at Kwun Tong Court on Saturday. He is now charged with one court of murder and two counts of shop theft.
A trial was adjourned until May 20 pending further police inquiries and legal advice.
Security camera footage from the 7-Eleven on Pitt Street near Portland Street showed the pair having an argument near the shop counter, where the owner was trying to phone the police.
The injured owner tried to clean up a mess on the floor immediately after he was stabbed.
He later fell unconscious and was rushed to nearby Kwong Wah Hospital and later transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he remained in a critical condition.
The suspect was picked up inside a restaurant on Jordan Road at 7.30pm on Wednesday. He remains in custody until the trial gets under way.
