The Pakistani security guard killed in the 2001 Hang Seng Bank heist received the fatal shot from the robber after he attempted to fire back even though he had already been shot twice, the Coroner's Court was told yesterday.

A bank customer Lui Kwok-hoo testified that the suspect, dressed in red jacket and dark green hood, had shouted to Khan "Put down your gun" twice after entering the bank.

But Khan ignored the order, and the suspect fired two shots at him, Lui said.

The suspect then proceeded to climb over a bank's counter. Khan, who had not slumped to the floor after suffering two shots made an attempt to fire at the suspect.

The suspect, already climbing over the counter, walked over to Khan and killed him in an "execution like" manner, using his right hand to force him to squat down and fired a contact shot to his back head.

Lui heard that the suspect had told the bank staff not to walk out while he was looting money from the drawers.

"The robber said all the people would be killed if they attempt to leave," he said.

Police officers who were participating in the investigation said outside the court that the suspect fired the final shot after realizing Khan's gun was loaded.

Police constable Chan Tze-wing, who had accompanied Khan to Yan Chai Hospital, testified that Khan was certified dead at 12:44 pm.

He said Khan had gunshot wounds in left ear, left hand and above navel.

A bullet was found in Khan's right waist, Chan testified.

The bank's branch manager at that time, Au Lai-ching, told the court last week that Khan was a dutiful person, who had obtained grade A in staff performance evaluation and was friendly with customers.

Another bank customer Ng Lai-chun testified that Khan slumped down after getting the third shot.

"I then realized that the robber was really using a gun," she said.

The bank's surveillance picture also showed that a customer went into hiding under the counter that the suspect was climbing over. But the coroner's officer had failed to locate that witness and summon him to court.

Lo Yat-yu, a manager of a property agency adjacent to the bank, said the suspect escaped through the shopping mall of the housing estate.

He said the suspect made his way out slowly, still carrying his gun, bag and wearing the black hood.

The inquest into the death of Khan Zafar Iqbal, a guard at the bank in Belvedere Garden on December 5, 2001, is expected to be completed on Wednesday. The inquest will then proceed to examine the death of constable Tsang Kwok-hang and Tsui Po-ko, both killed in the Tsim Sha Tsui shoot-out last year.