Senior Hong Kong cop’s appeal bid focuses on altered footage of Occupy beating
Barrister argues that adjustment may have affected colour tones on film that helped convict Senior Inspector Lau Cheuk-ngai
A barrister defending a senior Hong Kong policeman jailed for assaulting a high-profile activist during the Occupy protests complained during an appeal bid that the brightness of a video clip which helped convict his client had been altered.
Seven policemen convicted in Ken Tsang assault case spent HK$9 million on their defence
Tsang’s beating – at a spot many referred to as a “dark corner” because of the poor light – caused an outcry as it was caught on camera by multiple press organisations, including in a live broadcast.
Since Tsang was unable to give a complete account of the assault or the identity of the officers, trial judge David Dufton relied heavily on news footage downloaded from the internet by police investigators and provided by prosecutors to paint the full picture.
Appealing against Lau’s conviction and sentence on Thursday, Yu specifically took issue with some Television Broadcasts footage, the brightness of which had been adjusted before the judge saw it. During the trial Dufton partly identified Lau based on the colour of his clothing.