A Hong Kong man standing trial for allegedly murdering his former girlfriend has told the court that she was unfaithful during their relationship and that he spent nearly HK$1 million (approximately S$162,000) on her.
Alex Lo Chun Ming, who was 28 when he was charged, is accused of murdering 23-year-old yoga instructor Aqua Chow in June 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
According to HK01, Lo took the witness stand at the High Court on 9 November to give his account of their relationship, including claims of infidelity, financial disputes and repeated arguments.
Chow’s body was discovered in a bathtub inside a room at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui in June 2022.
She reportedly suffered more than 40 stab wounds to her face, neck, body and limbs.
Man Claims Ex-Girlfriend Was Seeing Another Man
During his testimony, Lo alleged that Chow had been communicating with another man named Darren while they were together.
He told the court that an incident in April 2021 first raised his suspicions.
According to his account, he and Chow were taking a bath together when they realised they had forgotten to bring a bath bomb.
When Lo went to retrieve it, he noticed a notification on Chow’s mobile phone from Darren, who was asking about her whereabouts.
Lo subsequently confronted Chow, who allegedly explained that she had met Darren in October 2020, before beginning her relationship with Lo.
He claimed that the pair had maintained a close relationship, exchanged affectionate nicknames and that Chow had admitted there was something going on between them.
Lo said he subsequently left their home for two days to cool down.
He claimed that Chow later promised to stop contacting Darren and even suggested that he install a tracking application to monitor her whereabouts.
She also reportedly suggested that they get engaged, with Lo claiming she proposed buying a ring and obtaining an engagement certificate online.
Claims He Spent S$162,000 On Her
Lo also told the court that he had spent substantial amounts of money supporting Chow during their relationship.
He claimed that she wanted to pursue additional yoga training and asked him to pay HK$30,000 (approximately S$4,900) for the courses.
According to his testimony, he subsequently took out a bank loan exceeding HK$200,000 (around S$32,600), purchased a ring worth HK$120,000 (around S$19,600) and gave her more than HK$500,000 (around S$81,500) in cash.
He further claimed that Chow was unemployed at the time and frequently asked him for financial assistance, despite his monthly income being approximately HK$30,000 (around S$4,900).
Credit card statements presented in court reportedly showed that Lo had taken Chow to the Four Seasons Hotel for her birthday and purchased gifts worth more than HK$20,000 (around S$3,260) on another occasion.
When questioned by his defence lawyer about whether he felt pressured to spend money on her, Lo said she never directly demanded the purchases.
However, he claimed that she would threaten to end their relationship if he refused.
Couple Allegedly Reconciled Before Another Dispute
Lo further alleged that he discovered Chow was communicating with Darren again in early May 2021.
Although he said she apologised and they reconciled, he later claimed to have discovered that she had celebrated Darren’s birthday.
He said he became angry and cancelled the prepaid fees for her yoga courses.
On Chow’s birthday, Lo allegedly checked her phone again and discovered that she had spent a night at a hotel with Darren.
He subsequently told her that he wanted to end their relationship.
However, according to Lo’s testimony, Chow refused to accept the breakup, threw a glass cup onto the floor and contacted the police.
Prosecutors Allege Murder Was Planned
While Lo’s testimony focused on the relationship and alleged infidelity, prosecutors have presented a different account of the events leading to Chow’s death.
According to the South China Morning Post, prosecutors told the court that Lo had checked into the Ritz-Carlton hotel a day before the alleged killing.
They also alleged that he purchased a knife on the day of Chow’s death before bringing her to the hotel room under the promise of giving her gifts.
A forensic examination reportedly found that Chow died from severe blood loss after suffering multiple stab wounds.
The report also indicated that she had been attacked from behind, with no evidence of drowning.
The prosecution is arguing that the killing was premeditated.
Lo has denied the murder charge and the trial, which began on 2 November 2026, is ongoing.
If convicted of murder, he could face life imprisonment under Hong Kong law.