Hong Kong's Court of Appeal on Friday reduced a tutor's 27-year jail term by three years but upheld his convictions for conspiracy to murder and related charges.
The Court of Appeal in a written judgment said the original sentence imposed on Stephen So Hon-to was too high. So, now 36, was convicted of orchestrating a failed plot to kill former flight attendant Terence Lam Ching-fung. The court rejected So's appeal against his convictions for conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to possess arms and ammunition without a licence. The plot involved enlisting three teenagers between late 2018 and early 2019 after a dispute over an investment in a tactical gear company in mainland China. So, then 28 and a war game enthusiast, had accused Lam, nicknamed “hobbit”, of secretly reporting to police that he had smuggled firearms. The court noted the need to remove a continuing danger to society for a very considerable time.