Robbery gone wrong? Money exchange shop owner, 71, bleeds to death two hours after throat slashed
The 71-year-old suffered a fatal neck wound and was discovered by a customer
PUBLISHED : Monday, 14 March, 2016, 2:33pm
UPDATED : Monday, 14 March, 2016, 9:25pm
Clifford Lo
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The money exchange shop in Wan Tau Street, Tai Po, where the owner was killed in an apparent robbery. Photo: SCMP Pictures
The owner of a money exchange shop is suspected to have bled to death two hours after his throat was slashed in what appears to have been a botched robbery in his store in Tai Po on Monday, police have said.
Officers believe Yiu Chik-chuen, 71, was attacked with a box cutter after a masked robber followed him into the ground-floor shop in Wan Tau Street near the junction with Kwong Fuk Road at about 9.30am.
“Security camera footage showed the masked man left the shop about 15 minutes later,” Superintendent Li Kwai-wah of the New Territories North regional crime unit said.
“A 20m to 30m trail of bloodstained footprints found inside and outside the shop was believed to have been left behind by the culprit.”
Officers believe the culprit fled empty-handed from the shop after failing to open a safe and finding about HK$560,000 the victim hid in secret pockets of his jacket.
“It is possible the victim was cut in the throat as he refused to open the safe and hand over the money,” a source with knowledge of the investigation said.
Yiu was left bleeding inside shop for about two hours before a female client visited the shop and found him lying unconscious in a pool of blood behind the counter at about 11.30am, according to police.
He was taken to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, where he was declared dead at about 12.10pm.
“Two deep cut wounds were found in his neck and his throat was slashed,” the source said. An autopsy will be carried out.
Police found no weapon at the scene, but believe the victim was attacked with a box cutter. Officers said here were signs of a struggle inside the ransacked the shop.
“Blood was found on walls and the floor inside the shop,” the superintendent said.
He said police were still investigating whether any cash and property was stolen from the shop.
On Monday evening, police were still searching for a middle-aged Chinese man in connection with the case.
The suspect was wearing dark-framed glasses, a face mask, a rucksack and a pair of sports shoes at the time of the incident.
Yiu ran a money exchange shop with his wife for many years. Their shop was moved to Wan Tau Street about six months ago.
It is understood Yiu was given a community service order at Eastern Court in 2003 after being found guilty in a money-laundering and deception case.
Police figures showed reports of homicide dropped 18.5 per cent from 27 in 2014 to 22 last year.
The number of robberies also dropped, by 27.8 per cent, from 309 in 2014 to 223 last year.
