An insurance salesman has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his girlfriend so he could collect a HK$2.8 million life insurance policy and settle some debts.

Chow Wai-kei, 32, had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Sentenced to 21 years in jail was Chow's friend and accomplice, Kong Wui-lam, 29.

The two men drowned 34-year-old Chen Fan in the small hours of Feb 12, 2010, on the Tsim Sha Tsui East waterfront promenade.

Calling their scheme a classic case of "cold-blooded" murder, Justice Darryl Saw recounted on Wednesday how the two plied Chow's girlfriend with alcohol before tossing her into the harbor, jumping in after her to keep her head underwater.

The court heard that Chow forged his girlfriend's signature when he took out a HK$2.8 million life insurance policy, which came into effect in December 2009 and another HK$1 million policy just a month before her death, which was never approved.

The two scouted the seaside promenade before meeting Chen at Pam's Pub located in the New Mandarin Plaza where she was given several drinks in quick succession.

The three then went for a walk, ostensibly to take in the morning air, when the two men pushed Chen into the water at around 5 am.

The deceased originally crossed paths with Chow while she worked as a nightclub hostess in August 2009, one month before divorcing her husband.

The two developed a physical relationship while Chow had a live-in girlfriend, court was told by prosecutor Michael Arthur.

Following their arrest, the two maintained that Chen fell in the water accidentally.

Later the two killers turned on one another, each claiming the other to have been the mastermind of the crime.

Kong said Chen offered to share half of the payout with him. He admitted lifting Chen's legs as the two heaved her into the water but added Chow jumped in after her to keep her head underwater.

Chow countered that Kong had instructed him to take out two policies as a means to make quick money.

Chow claimed that he had repented his murderous scheme and attempted to save his victim after tossing her into the sea.

The court heard the two conspirators previously considered killing the victim in what was to have appeared to be a botched robbery.

China Daily

(HK Edition 03/31/2011 page1)