Woman convicted of assaulting Hong Kong policeman with breast wins appeal against jail term
But Ng Lai-ying and company fail to overturn convictions over fracas at Yuen Long anti-parallel trader protest
Ng Lai-ying, 30, guilty of assaulting Chief Inspector Chan Ka-po, successfully appealed against her jail sentence of three months and 15 days. But she failed in her attempt to overturn her conviction, which earlier drew a great deal of press coverage worldwide.
The court will look into her suitability for community service, but she may still go to prison.
Handing down her written judgment, Mrs Justice Judianna Barnes wrote it appeared Ng was trying to get lover Kwong Chun-lung off the hook when she bumped Chan with her breast and yelled “indecent assault” during the protest in Yuen Long on March 1 last year. “Although her action could not be said to be excusable, the court should consider it was under this circumstance that she committed the offence,” she continued.
But the judge noted that the offence remained serious in that she falsely accused Chan of indecent assault, which could have incited the crowd. She warned Ng that if she failed to display remorse, she may still face a jail term.
Kwong, 20, who was earlier found guilty of obstructing Chan, also successfully overturned his original sentence of time at a training centre, but not his conviction. A probation officer’s report has been sought on him.
Outside the High Court, Ng gasped: “I was relieved.”