Hong Kong protests: prosecutors abandon box cutter charge, after conceding no way to prove arrestee intended violence

Go Nim-chung, 20, was arrested about 2km before reaching an anti-parallel trader rally in the border town of Sheung Shui

Police made about 50 arrests at the event itself when marchers diverged from a pre-authorised route

Reading Time:2 minutes

Protesters rally against mainland Chinese parallel traders on January 5. Defendant Go Nim-chung was arrested about 2km away while on his way to the march. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 4:33pm, 20 Mar 2020Updated: 4:59pm, 20 Mar 2020

Hong Kong prosecutors on Friday dropped charges against a student found in possession of a box cutter while on his way to a protest two months ago, citing insufficient evidence.

Fanling Court heard that Go Nim-chung, 20, had intended to go to the border town of Sheung Shui on January 5 to take part in an authorised rally against mainland Chinese shoppers and parallel traders.

But he was intercepted by police officers outside Fanling MTR Station, about 2km from Sheung Shui, and subsequently arrested for possessing the cutter.

The border town of Sheung Shui played host to a rally against mainland Chinese parallel traders on January 5. Police ended up arresting about 50 after the march deviated from its authorised route. SCMP: Sam Tsang

Senior court prosecutor Alan Yau Sik-lun told the court on Friday the prosecution had little chance of securing conviction because they could not prove the defendant had intended to wound others at the rally.

The prosecution initially insisted Go had been considered suspicious as he was wearing a black jacket, the same colour typically worn by anti-government protesters, and picked up his walking speed after noticing he was being tailed by police.