Silent witness sentence

SILENT witness Michael Lam Yih-jiun, who lost his memory during tycoon Albert Yeung Sau-shing's trial, will be sentenced tomorrow for contempt of court.

Under the Magistrates Ordinance, Lam could face a year in jail for refusing to give evidence.

But James Chandler, for Lam, argued in Western Court yesterday that magistrate Paul Kelly, who oversaw Mr Yeung's trial in May, had a discretionary power to impose a more lenient punishment.

That included a fine of up to $5,000 or a suspended sentence, he said.

In mitigation, Mr Chandler told the court all five prosecution witnesses had claimed to have forgotten the alleged events on December 9 and 10 last year.

But only Lam was found in breach of the ordinance.