Peter Chan Chun-chuen and his family were tight-lipped yesterday over whether he planned to lodge an appeal, but criminal law specialists say the jailed former fung shui master will face a long and difficult fight if he does.
If the self-taught geomancer who converted to Christianity decided to file an appeal, his case might drag on for as long as six years if it took the same course as that of "milkshake murderer" Nancy Kissel.
It would also be difficult for Chan to be freed on bail pending appeal, the experts said.
Solicitor Stephen Hung Wan-shun, vice-president of the Law Society and a crime specialist, said Chan stood an "extremely slim" chance of arguing that the verdict reached by the eight-member jury was flawed.
"He may allege that some jurors were sleeping when hearing the evidence and the judge's direction, but only a rare case would succeed," Hung said.
Another rare situation in which a jury verdict might be overturned was "inconsistent verdicts" - where the prosecution said two charges were connected but the jury's decision showed otherwise, he said, adding that this was not the situation in Chan's trial.
Hung said Chan would be more likely to argue that the judge made mistakes in the trial, either on points of law or on factual issues.
