Hong Kong judge jails trio over ‘senseless’ attacks on bystanders during last year’s protests
- Defenders have maintained the three acted out of character and on bad information, but judge Anthony Kwok rules the offences were ‘still very serious’
- The attacks were against a mainland man who was spotted holding a brick-like object, and a drunken local who was mistaken for a policeman
The trio had pleaded guilty to assault charges and explained to the District Court how they acted out of character after hearing rumours at the scene about their respective victims being either a mainlander or a policeman who was about to attack protesters.
But District Judge Anthony Kwok Kai-on found their offences were “still very serious”, as Hong Kong had no place for vigilantism, adding that the defendants had behaved like “thugs who attacked or intimidated innocent people at will”, leaving their victims “battered, bloodied and dazed”, and with serious injuries.
“For whatever reason they decided to take part, what they did was ugly and unacceptable,” Kwok said on Wednesday. “They were not allowed to take the law into their own hands.”
Cleaner Law Wai-wah, 57, was jailed for four years after he admitted to taking part in both attacks and pleaded guilty to two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, an offence punishable by up to seven years’ imprisonment when the case is heard at the District Court level.