Hong Kong protests: judge finds teacher guilty of assaulting officer, questions mental state in remanding to psychiatric facility

Yeung Pok-man, 29, claimed police had threatened to throw him off the roundabout where he was pulled over for delaying traffic on November 11

Magistrate suggested a personality disorder could be responsible for what she called a fabrication, questioning if he was fit to continue teaching

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Fanling Court Magistrate Debbie Ng Chung-yee on Friday found 29-year-old teacher Yeung Pok-man guilty of assaulting a Hong Kong police officer. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 5:01pm, 12 Jun 2020Updated: 8:55pm, 12 Jun 2020

A primary schoolteacher has been found guilty of assaulting a police officer last November and sent to a psychiatric facility ahead of sentencing, after the magistrate suggested he was mentally unfit to continue teaching.

Fanling Court Magistrate Debbie Ng Chung-yee ruled on Friday that Yeung Pok-man had lied about the November 11 incident, which occurred during a citywide strike by anti-government protesters, and mounted a “ridiculous” defence.

Yeung is the first schoolteacher to be convicted in relation to the demonstrations sparked by a now-withdrawn extradition bill one year ago.

Prosecutors said the 29-year-old, who was a member of the Hong Kong volleyball team and beach volleyball team, resisted officers after being told to leave his car, kicking Sergeant Chung Wang-yip in the abdomen.

Teacher Yeung Pok-man, 29, was on Friday convicted of assaulting police sergeant Chung Wang-yip (pictured). Photo: Brian Wong

Police had stopped Yeung as he drove across an elevated roundabout on So Kwun Po Road in Sheung Shui, accusing him of intentionally delaying traffic as part of the strike.

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