By Benjamin Garvey
HONG KONG
The case of a British banker who allegedly murdered two women in Hong Kong was adjourned for two weeks Monday to allow the defendant to undergo psychiatric assessment.
The prosecution told a judge that 29-year-old Rurik George Caton Jutting, accused of murdering Sumarti Ningsih and another unnamed woman, had refused a request to reconstruct events, the South China Morning Post news website reported.
The prosecution had requested a reconstruction last week when Jutting first appeared in court.
Principal Magistrate Bina Chainrai ordered two psychiatric reports on Jutting to determine whether he was fit to enter a plea, adjourning the case until November 24.
Jutting wore glasses and a black t-shirt in court and was not asked to make a plea, according to the report.
Jutting's counsel Timothy Parker told the court he had received neither the video interview with his client from the prosecution, nor any instructions from his client.
Jutting, formerly employed by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, was arrested Nov. 1 when he called police to his upmarket flat in the bustling district of Wan Chai district.
A naked woman, believed to be aged between 20 and 30, was found in the living room with knife wounds to her neck and buttocks. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hours later, police found a the body of 25-year-old Ningsih, an Indonesian who had entered Hong Kong on a tourist visa in October, in a suitcase on the balcony of Jutting’s apartment. The corpse was wrapped in a carpet and already in a state of decay.
Ningsih had been arrested on suspicion of breaching her conditions of stay in the territory, the SCMP reported.
According to local media, Ningsih may have been murdered October 27 and the unknown female November 1.
Hong Kong, an international financial center, is home to a large community of expatriate bankers who work long hours.
www.aa.com.tr/en
