Hong Kong Blood Drinker Arrested
First published: 16th September 2007
A man from Kwai Chung, Hong Kong was arrested around 5pm on 15th September 2007 on suspicion of stealing and drinking three blood samples at the Yan Chai Hospital.
Police said that the man visited the hospital after injuring his leg while drunk. After treatment, about 4am, he entered a laboratory, stretched his hand through a counter and stole three test tubes containing blood samples. He swallowed the blood and dumped the tubes in a bin before leaving. The incident was caught on surveillance cameras, and Police were able to identify the suspect, who they say has got drunk and caused trouble on previous occasions.
Hospitals have taken steps to increase the security of samples, and Lo Wing-lok, a former lawmaker who is an expert on infectious diseases, has warned of the dangers of drinking unsterilised blood.
Updated: 16th October 2007
Li Man-yiu, 29, was sentenced to two months in jail by the Tsuen Wan Court on 15th October 2007 for theft of the blood samples. He confessed in court that he took and drank the blood because he was drunk and extremely thirsty. He also claimed that he only realised the tubes contained blood after drinking two. Mr Li was dressed in black at the time of the incident.