Hong Kong protests: judge changes sentence for flick knife-toting teen, sending him to rehabilitation centre instead

Magistrate rules that defence counsel misled her about her options when she originally chose to bind the student over in late June

At Thursday’s hearing, the 18-year-old rejected an offer of probation that the magistrate encouraged him to accept

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Radical anti-government protesters set up roadblocks on Argyle Street in Mong Kok to disrupt traffic, the same day 18-year-old student Ng Ming-yeung was stopped with a knife in Chai Wan. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 9:38pm, 30 Jul 2020Updated: 9:47pm, 30 Jul 2020

A Hong Kong magistrate who believed she was misled by an experienced defence counsel in ordering that an 18-year-old student be bound over for carrying a flick knife last year has reviewed her sentence on her own initiative and sent him to a rehabilitation centre.

Magistrate Veronica Heung Shuk-han on Thursday acknowledged that non-custodial sentences were very rarely replaced by custodial ones, but said the court had no choice given the case’s unique circumstances.

Student Ng Ming-yeung, whose original sentence was set aside and replaced by a rehabilitation centre order, was also denied bail pending appeal, but reminded that he could renew his application at the High Court.

An earlier decison to bind over 18-year-old Ng Ming-yeung was reversed on Thursday after the magistrate reviewed her own ruling. Photo: SCMP

The Eastern Court case stemmed from a 21.2cm-long flick knife found in the backpack of the 18-year-old when he was intercepted by police in Chai Wan at about 7.01am on November 11, while the city was roiled by anti-government protests.

Ng was found guilty of possessing a prohibited weapon on June 18, as Heung concluded the blade was a dangerous weapon capable of inflicting grievous bodily harm and was in his possession and control.