Hong Kong court rejects bid to have ex-lawmaker’s sentence for loudspeaker assault increased

Au Nok-hin, 32, was ordered to do 140 hours of community service after being convicted of yelling at senior police officer through speaker, damaging his hearing, and hitting constable’s shield with microphone

Prosecutors argued that Au’s sentence was wrong in principle, and failed to reflect the gravity of attacking members of the 31,000-strong police force

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Former lawmaker Au Nok-hin plans to appeal against his conviction. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 7:22pm, 12 Jun 2020Updated: 9:44pm, 12 Jun 2020

A Hong Kong court has upheld its decision to spare a former lawmaker jail for assaulting two police officers with a loudhailer during an anti-government protest, rejecting a request by prosecutors for a heavier penalty.

Kowloon City Court on Friday heard an application by the Department of Justice to impose a heftier sentence on Au Nok-hin, 32, who was ordered to do 140 hours of community service in April for his attacks, in the early hours of July 8 last year.

The attacks occurred during a stand-off between protesters and police in Mong Kok after a rally.

Au was convicted of yelling at Superintendent Ko Chun-pong through a loudspeaker, damaging the officer’s hearing in the right ear. He was also convicted of attacking Constable Kwan Chi-ho by hitting his shield three times with a microphone wired to the loudspeaker.

The incident occurred at a protest last July. Photo: Felix Wong

In April, Magistrate Leung Ka-kie accepted the recommendation of a probation officer and spared Au jail because he was sorry for the offences.

Margaret Yu Kwok-wai, senior assistant director of public prosecutions, argued that Au’s sentence was wrong in principle, and failed to reflect the gravity of attacking members of the 31,000-strong force, which had become a lightning rod for public discontent during the social unrest.