'Road rage' brothers who hit taxi driver, 81, told they face prison

Two brothers convicted in a "road rage" case of hitting an 81-year-old taxi driver 20 times - after he nearly ran over the daughter of one of them - have been warned that they could face prison.

Deputy Magistrate Jim Chun-ki found Lam Hong-shing and Lam Hong-kin guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and a further count of assaulting a police officer. The pair had slammed a taxi door into a female police officer during the confrontation on November 6 last year.

The brothers had earlier pleaded not guilty to both offences at Tsuen Wan Court.

Handing down his verdict yesterday, Jim said the case was one of road rage - an incident in which aggressive or angry behaviour by road users could lead to altercations, assaults or crashes. Citing previous cases, he said such offences could warrant an immediate custodial sentence.

The court heard that the two Lams, both in their 30s, had been drinking before the incident at the junction of Wo Tong Tsui Road and Kwai Hing Road in Kwai Chung.

Earlier, the court heard that the elderly driver was hit about 20 times on the head and neck. He suffered only minor injuries.

Jim disputed the defence claims that the taxi door bounced back during the altercation to accidentally hit the police officer.

He said that the officer was in pain after being hit by the door.

Under caution, Lam Hong-kin told police that the driver had nearly knocked down his daughter, and he wanted to question the cabbie. His elder brother said that he had never hit the driver and had tried to separate him from his brother.

The pair will be sentenced on February 19, pending community service and psychological reports.

The magistrate asked for the reports to consider the impact of alcohol on the defendants.