A BLACKMAILER tried to rid himself yesterday of a judge he claimed was protecting the key witness against him.
Ng Yuk-ki, 31, asked Judge Sweeney to step down from his case at the District Court after the judge banned identification of a tycoon.
But the judge said Ng wanted the ban lifted to apply pressure to his wealthy victim, and refused his request.
It was in the public interest to protect witnesses, he said, because it encouraged others to come forward.
Ng had denied a charge of blackmail with menaces but was found guilty on November 16. He appeared yesterday for sentencing and the judge jailed him for 18 months.
But his sentence was half what it might have been, after prosecutor Michael Poll submitted a police letter praising Ng for providing information which helped capture other suspects.
'The police need all the help they can get in the fight against crime,' the judge said.