Retired senior policeman jailed three months for hitting Occupy protest bystander with baton

Frankly Chu, 58, appeared downcast as Principal Magistrate Bina Chainrai announced that the former superintendent’s “culpability was too serious for community service” or a suspended sentence.

“A deterrent sentence is necessary so that other officers will not be tempted to follow a similar line, and public confidence can be restored,” she told a full house at Eastern Court.

The magistrate initially handed out a four-month jail term for an offence punishable by three years, but reduced it by a month to account for Chu’s clean record, the stress that he had suffered, the length of time that had passed and his unlikeliness to reoffend.

Chu, who had been remanded in custody since December 18, when he was convicted of assault occasioning bodily harm, was subsequently released on HK$50,000 bail on Wednesday. Defence counsel Peter Pannu indicated that his client would appeal against both his conviction and sentence.