Hong Kong man jailed for looting Xiaomi store that was trashed by protesters in Mong Kok
- Opportunist thief caught by police after demonstrators, who have spoken out against stealing from businesses they target, tied him to railings nearby
- Serial offender Tang Chong-hou sentenced to three months in prison for taking mobile phones ‘out of greed’
A Hong Kong man who was caught red-handed stealing three phones from a trashed Xiaomi store during a protest last weekend was jailed for three months by a court on Wednesday.
West Kowloon Court heard protesters on Sunday found Tang Chong-hou, 38, looting Mi-Home Store on Nathan Road in Mong Kok, and tied him to street railings nearby.
Police officers sweeping the area later found Tang tied up at the junction of Soy Street and Shanghai Street, with three phones beside him.
Upon arrest, the transport worker admitted he had stolen the gadgets out of greed.
Security footage taken from the shop revealed three men looted the store room at 6.11pm, one of them being Tang, who was seen wearing a light-coloured cap, dark clothes, gloves and a black face mask.
He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of theft, an offence punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment.