63-year-old depressed man spiked soft drinks with his urine in year-long ‘prank’; nine-year-old hospitalised after drinking

A story from Hong Kong has caught a lot of attention, and it’s about something really ordinary. Buying a soft drink from a supermarket is something we all do without thinking. But in this case, that simple act ended up in a serious legal matter and has people talking about safety and mental health.

What the man admitted in court

As reported by the South China Morning Post, a 63 year old retired man told the court that he had tampered with bottled soft drinks kept in supermarkets. Over many months, he placed these bottles back on store shelves at different locations. Shockingly, he admitted that he had added his urine to the bottles.

He said he did this because he was upset with supermarket staff after arguments with them. He described his actions as a prank, but the court treated it as a serious offense.

How people found out

The issue came to light after several complaints were made about soft drink bottles that did not seem normal. These complaints came from different supermarkets and were shared with the drink company.

As per the South China Morning Post report, in one case, a nine year old boy felt unwell after drinking one of the affected soft drinks. He was taken to hospital and was discharged the same day without any long term problems.

Later checks showed that the same man had visited the stores and placed the tampered bottles on the shelves.

His personal situation

According to the report, in court, the man’s lawyer spoke about his personal life. He had retired, gone through a divorce, and lost contact with close family members. The lawyer said the man was suffering from depression and felt very alone.

The man said he regretted what he had done and admitted that he handled his emotions in the wrong way. Relatives described him as polite and hardworking.

What the court is looking at now

As reported by the South China Morning Post, the magistrate said the offense was serious because it put the public at risk. However, the court said it would also consider other options instead of jail, given the man’s situation. These include community service, probation, or medical treatment.

The man is currently staying at a psychiatric centre while the court decides his punishment.
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