Two brothers were each fined $2,000 for assaulting a 60-year-old man while they were queueing to beat the deadline to become British Dependent Territories Citizens. But Hung Tai-nin, 40, and Hung Tin-keung, 31, lost their chance to gain the citizenship document even before court proceedings started yesterday. They were arrested immediately after the incident on March 30 and missed their last opportunity to file applications. In Eastern Court, the brothers pleaded guilty to one charge each of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Leung Yan-kam, 60. Magistrate William Eccleton fined them $2,000 each and ordered them to pay $1,000 each in compensation to their victim. Prosecutor Jackson Poon offered no evidence against a third brother, Hung Siu-yung, 34, who was in the Wan Chai Sports Ground queue at the time of the assault. Hung Siu-yung agreed to be bound over in the sum of $2,000 for 12 months. The argument among the four began when Mr Leung thought Hung Tai-nin had jumped the queue about six metres away from him. Mr Leung shouted abuse at the eldest brother. Later, Hung Tai-nin crossed a cordon, ran towards Mr Leung and tried to hit him. Mr Poon said Mr Leung had fought back, knocking his assailant to the ground. Hung Tin-keung also came up to help his elder brother and hit Mr Leung with his mobile phone, the court heard. Mr Leung suffered a cut on his temple and a fractured finger. In mitigation, lawyer Newman Wong apologised on the brothers' behalf. He said the Hungs' restaurant business in China had been in financial difficulty and Hung Tai-nin's behaviour on the day was out of character. Mr Wong said the Hungs had lost their positions and then tried to rejoin the queue.