Drama as teenager found guilty

A mother lay wailing on a courtroom floor yesterday after her teenage son was found guilty of attacking and molesting his teacher.

Her emotional outburst came when Deputy Magistrate Hui Chun-sing convicted Ho Man-tai of wounding and indecent assault.

Ho, 18, sobbed and shook his head after Hui handed down the verdict in Tuen Mun Court.

Later his father took off his right shoe and threw it several times at journalists who tried to photograph him and his wife as they left the court building.

The magistrate refused barrister Chan Pak-kong's application for bail and remanded Ho in custody, pending reports for sentencing on April 5.

Chan said Ho was due to sit the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination next Wednesday.

The court heard earlier that Ho punched the teacher, tugged her hair and put keys into her mouth, causing her to bleed. He also touched her breast, the victim said.

The assault took place at Ho's school in Tin Shui Wai on the evening of November 30, 2012. The teacher said Ho told her he had written something bad on the wall in a room on the third floor, and guided her there, where he attacked her.

But Ho said he had been wandering around the school when the woman - his former class teacher - approached him to ask why he had earlier been absent from school for several days.

He said the bombardment of questions by the victim about his problems had touched his "bottom line", and made him furious.

He said the teacher repeatedly requested him to guide her to the room where he wrote his unhappy feelings.

A verdict was due on January 30 but was delayed after his lawyer recalled the teacher for cross-examination.

Chan questioned the victim's credibility because she did not mention the indecent assault in a lawyer's letter that she sent in January to ask for compensation.

But Hui said the victim had the right not to lodge a civil claim against any part of the attack.

He said he could not infer from the omission that she was a dishonest witness.

In mitigation submissions, Chan said it was an isolated incident and not Ho's usual behaviour. He said Ho had been a well-behaved student who excelled in his studies.