Man who spiked family’s meal, burned charcoal in flat guilty of attempted murder

A Hong Kong merchant has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of his wife and three daughters by burning charcoal in their public rental flat two years ago, saying he was “out of options” after struggling to repay debts totalling nearly HK$900,000 (US$115,000).The High Court heard on Tuesday that Wong Pak-ting, 45, spiked the dinner he prepared for his family with sleeping pills before attempting to kill himself with them at their home in Tuen Mun’s Shan King Estate on June 25, 2024.Wong told police he had been seeking psychiatric treatment since March that year for moderate depression, as he struggled to keep his food distribution business afloat even after borrowing money from friends and financial institutions.