Constable Leung Shing-yan, who was slain six years ago, was shot from a point-blank range, with three shots being fired close to the floor, the Coroner's Court was told yesterday.

Former senior forensic firearms examiner Leung Sai-leung testified yesterday that there were five holes in Leung's body, showing that he was shot five times, and 14 fragments of lead and copper jacket that encased the bullet were found inside the body.

Leung was killed on March 14, 2001, when he went to investigate a bogus noise complaint in Shek Wai Kok Estate. His service revolver was also stolen. The revolver was found in last year's Tsim Sha Tsui shoot-out, in which constable Tsang Kwok-hang and Tsui Po-ko were killed. Tsui was alleged to be the key suspect behind the killings.

The forensic expert said the culprit had fired six shots, but one did not hit the constable.

Leung testified if propellant substances (firing substances) were found in Leung's body, it would indicate that the shot was taken from less than two feet away. Such substance was found in Leung's left eyebrow.

The other four holes were found in Leung's left shoulder, back neck, left chest, and top of the skull.

Leung said the hole on top of the constable's skull was a star-shaped wound caused by a "contact shot".

The firearm examiner said the metal fragments found in Leung's body were typically 0.38 calibre bullets, which are commonly used by police force. He also said it was likely that they were used from the same weapon a police revolver.

Forensic scientist Cheung Kam-yin testified that the bloodstain found at the crime scene showed that three shots were made within a striking distance from the floor, indicating the culprit might had squatted when opening the fire.

Bloodstain was found in the left fire door of the crime scene, and another 80cm X 60cm bloodstain was found in front of the fire doors.

Cheung conducted bloodstain pattern analysis, a technique that helps find out the angle of a gunshot and distance of the gun through analyzing the shape and size of blood drops at the crime scene.

One of the shots was made at 4cm distance from the left door, 40cm in front of it (left door), and 40cm above the floor.

Another shot was made at 8cm distance from the left door, 53cm in front of it, and 21cm above the floor.

Cheung said the left fire door was closed, while the right door remained open. He believed that the culprit might have knelt down on the ground to open fire in front of the right door.

As the culprit had blocked the right door, no bloodstain was found there.

The other shot was made at 90cm in front of the fire door and 20cm above the floor.

Cheung believed that the shot pierced Leung's head as there was brain substance near the location.

"Leung's head might have already been hit by a gunshot. And the second shot will make the blood and brain substance spewed out from the first head wound," Cheung said.

"It is possible that the second shot at the brain was made after Leung slumped to the floor by previous shots," he added.

Cheung also testified that it was possible for Leung to be pressed down by the culprit before being shot.

Cheung explained that if the gunshot was fired horizontally, the bloodstain on the door would have been more spherical. However, if the gunshot was not fired horizontally, the blood drops on the door would be elongated.

He also believed that the bloodstain found on the left fire door could be left by the culprit, whose clothes or other belongings might have been soaked with the victim's blood.

The inquest into Leung's death is expected to be completed today after the testimony of pathologist Lam Wai-man.

Today morning before hearing the testimony of Lam, Coroner Michael Chan, coroner's officer Arthur Luk and the jury will visit the Hang Seng Bank in Belvedere Garden in Tsuen Wan, where a Pakistani security guard Zafar Iqbal Khan was killed by Leung's revolver in a robbery in 2001.