Robber dies after meat cleaver pierces artery

DANNY MOK

A robber died during a raid on a store in Tsuen Wan when he fell and severed an artery with the meat cleaver he was carrying.

Police said the 24-year-old man, surnamed Lam, was armed with the 30cm-long cleaver and a stun gun. He turned up at an electronic parts trading company on the 16th floor of the Thriving Industrial Centre in Sha Shui Road at about 5pm disguised as an expressman with a parcel.

Lam tried to attack the receptionist with the stun gun but she yelled for help and ducked. The robber hit her on the head with a hard object, but a male employee was alerted and scuffled with the suspect, who fled along a staircase.

While bending to pick up his stun gun after dropping it, the cleaver hidden in his trousers pierced the femoral artery in his left thigh. He pulled it out and ran, making it to the 13th floor before he became too weak and collapsed in a pool of blood.

Police followed a trail of blood and found the man lying unconscious.

Lam was taken to Yan Chai Hospital where medical treatment proved futile and he was declared dead at 6.32pm.

Police found a meat cleaver and stun gun at the scene.

Tsuen Wan District Crime Squad is looking into the case, which was classified as a robbery.

The receptionist, who suffered a minor head injury, was treated in hospital.

A doctor said major blood loss from such a wound could have killed Lam in 30 minutes.

"The pierced artery is like a leaking mains water pipe. The blood can gush like a fountain under high blood pressure," Anthony Ng Wing-keung said, adding that the blood loss would have been quicker after Lam pulled the cleaver out of his leg.

Man dies after botched robbery attempt

http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/elocal/news.htm?elocal&20070402&56&390343 2007-04-02 HKT 21:31 A man has died after a botched attempt to rob a trading company in a Tsuen Wan industrial building. About five 5 o'clock this afternoon, the 24-year-old suspect, dressed as a delivery worker and armed with a knife and a stun gun, entered the company's premises, apparently to rob it. However, one of the female workers resisted and alerted other people in the building. The man fled but was found shortly afterwards collapsed on a staircase in the building. He was certified dead in hospital. The cause of death hasn't been revealed.

Submitted on 04/02/2007

Submitted by: rayforce
Reference: South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, April 3 2007; RTHK.org.hk, April 2 2007

Copyright © 2007 DarwinAwards.com

Bruce said:
Neutral: For Darwin's Eyes
Thanks for the submission, rayforce. We already have this one under consideration but yours provides a little more detail.

Chip said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
As Bruce said, maybe Darwin can get a bit more from this one. Thanks for sending it, rayforce.

James said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
My only qualm here was the female bystander, who wasn't hurt that badly at all. Anyway, Goofy couldn't have done better! This goes above and beyond mere dumb criminality, and think it deserves recognition!

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