HONG KONG: The truck driver who killed six men in an alcohol-related crash last January in Lok Ma Chau will spend six years in jail. Survivors of the victims of the crash condemned the sentence, calling it too lenient.

Law Siu-kuen, 41, pleaded guilty to six counts of manslaughter Tuesday in the High Court.

Passing sentence yesterday, presiding judge Alan Wright commented that the number of lives lost is not a key consideration when meting out punishment in this type of case.

He also criticized the sensational coverage of the case in the media, saying it had inflamed the situation and affected the victims' families. The judge pointed to Law's willingness to take responsibility, his sincere repentance, his relatively good driving record before the crash and the slim chance for him to commit the same crime again.

The judge also noted that drunk driving is a serious crime and the consumption of even a small amount of alcohol is enough to affect a motorist's capacity to operate a motor vehicle.

As an experienced driver, Law should have been fully aware of the fact judge Wright noted. But the breathalyzer sample Law provided at the scene revealed a blood alcohol level four times of the legal limit, Wright said.

The six victims were mostly breadwinners of their families. The judge said Law inflicted great pain on the families and expressed the hope that Law would remember this serious mistake forever.

Aside from the jail term, Law's driver's license was also revoked as part of the sentence.

Some family members of the victims, disappointed with the sentence, went to the Department of Justice to seek help in filing an appeal.

"Too light and too unfair to the families of victims. We thought he would get at least eight to 10 years, to send a message on drunk driving," said a woman who identified herself as a sister of Yu Yat-hing, one of the crash victims.

"In six years, he would go back and reunite with his family. Can my brother come back?" she said.

A family member of Chow Sing-yau, another victim, said the ruling was unexpected since Law was indicted for manslaughter. The charge rarely is brought in road mishaps and is intended to be used for its deterrent effect.

"How can it be fewer than the 10 years for dangerous driving causing death," the sobbing woman asked.

The maximum sentence for manslaughter is life imprisonment while that for dangerous driving causing death is 10 years.

Law became the first driver in two decades to be charged with manslaughter as a result of a traffic collision in Hong Kong. In the previous case of 1983, the driver, who killed a policeman ramming into a police road block, received a 4-year jail term.

Working as a cross-border container truck driver, Law's truck plowed into a taxi shared by five construction workers going to work during the morning rush hour on January 23. All six occupants were killed.

In mitigation, a letter of an apology was read out at the court hearing yesterday.

Law said he had been out with friends, celebrating his pending marriage until 5 am on January 23. During that celebration he drank nine bottles of beer. He said he had no plan to drive. But a problem concerning the two-way permit of his fiancee who was from the mainland prompted him to drive the truck to go to meet her.

"I have made a grave mistake and will regret it all my life," he said in the letter.

(HK Edition 12/04/2009 page1)