Grab your plastic stool and a warm cup of teh-halia because the legal showdown of the century has officially opened its doors.

If you thought your family WhatsApp group chat during Chinese New Year was dramatic, wait until you hear about the blockbuster trial unfolding right now in Hong Kong’s High Court.

The infamous 2023 murder case of socialite and fashion icon Abby Choi is back in the headlines, and the courtroom is serving piping hot legal drama that’s got the whole town talking.

👑 Who Was Abby Choi?

Abby Choi was a dazzling 28-year-old fashion model, socialite, and influencer with over 100,000 Instagram followers.

Regularly featured in high-end magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle, she frequently attended elite events like Paris Fashion Week.

Hailing from a wealthy family with construction and mining business ties in mainland China, her personal net worth was estimated to be over HK100 million (around S$17 million).

🕵️‍♂️ The Cast of Characters: The Complex Family Web

• The Victim: Abby Choi.

• The Accused (The Kwong Family):

Her former husband, Alex Kwong Kong-chi (whom she married at 18 and divorced in 2016); his father, Kwong Kau (a former police sergeant); and his elder brother, Anthony Kwong Kong-kit (whom Abby even hired as her chauffeur). Talk about a family reunion that nobody asked for an invite to!

• The Financial Web: Despite their divorce, Abby continued to financially support Alex and his entire family. She even bought a luxury apartment in Kadoorie Hill (a high-end area in Kowloon Tong) for them to live in. Though she paid for it, she registered it under her former father-in-law’s name to help them avoid heavy stamp duties.

• The New Chapter: Abby later built a life with her partner, Chris Tam (son of the founder of the famous TamJai Yunnan Mixian restaurant chain), with whom she had two children. They held wedding ceremonies in 2016, though they never formally registered the marriage.

• The Legal Heavyweights: Leading the prosecution is Senior Counsel Charlotte Draycott, while the Kwong family is backed by an elite roster of defense barristers, including Andrew Raffell, Oliver Davies, and Trevor Beel.

💸 The Dark Motive: Real Estate Gone Wrong

The fatal turning point came when Abby decided to sell the multi-million-dollar Kadoorie Hill apartment. While she reportedly promised to relocate her ex-husband’s family elsewhere, her former father-in-law, Kwong Kau, vehemently opposed the sale. The bitter dispute over these massive assets allegedly enraged the family and set a gruesome, premeditated murder plot into motion.

🔪 The Discovery: The Horrific Crime Scene

Back in February 2023, the case shocked the globe when Abby went missing after failing to pick up her daughter from school, having last been seen getting into a car driven by her former brother-in-law.

Three days later, police raided a rented three-storey village house in Tai Po’s Lung Mei Tsuen. Inside, they found a gruesome scene equipped like a butcher’s shop—complete with an electric saw, meat grinder, choppers, and protective gear.

Parts of her body were found stuffed in a refrigerator, while her skull and ribs were discovered inside a large stainless steel soup pot mixed with radishes and carrots. Police even scoured a massive landfill and sewage lines in a frantic search for her missing torso and arms.

Following a manhunt, Alex Kwong was caught trying to flee via speedboat with bundles of cash and luxury watches, while his parents and brother were swiftly rounded up alongside other accomplices.

🏛️ Inside the Courtroom Chaos Today

The trial officially blasted off in the Hong Kong High Court with preliminary housekeeping, jury selection, and opening statements.

Because public interest is sky-high, authorities arranged a live broadcast so the massive crowds gathering outside could tune in.

The defendants appeared in court facing joint charges of murder and preventing the lawful burial of a body. With legal arguments, witness testimonies, and heavy-hitting cross-examinations scheduled to run all the way until December, this is shaping up to be a marathon of mystery and courtroom theatrics.

So, clear your schedule, stock up on snacks, and settle in. This is one local gossip session you won’t want to miss!

What are your thoughts on this wild trial? Drop your take below!