A mother diagnosed with schizophrenia has been sentenced to an indefinite term of custody at a psychiatric centre in Hong Kong, after stabbing her daughter to death while in a deluded state at a public rental flat four years ago.

Part-time security guard Yang Leying broke down in tears as High Court judge Anthony Kwok Kai-on delivered the sentence on Wednesday. As the 50-year-old was led away from the courtroom afterwards, she yelled and was visibly distraught.

Yang earlier pleaded guilty at the High Court in June after prosecutors agreed to reduce her original murder charge to manslaughter, on the basis that she was suffering from an abnormality of the mind when she fatally attacked her 24-year-old daughter, Chen Lianqin, on December 6, 2021.

Prosecutors had earlier said the city’s mental health service became aware of Yang around 2007 or 2008 when she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

On Wednesday morning, Yang appeared in the courtroom wearing a grey outfit. She was initially sombre but later broke down in tears as court proceedings progressed.

“The defendant’s mental condition needs to be supervised and monitored in a mental institution,” Kwok said, sentencing Yang to an indefinite period of custody in Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre.

In handing down its sentence, the court on Wednesday adopted the recommendations of two psychiatrists.