Hong Kong protests: alleged ear-biter, slasher apologises to one victim in court; another recounts assault

Through his lawyer, defendant Joe Chen asks if alleged victim can forgive him, but judge calls question irrelevant

Another alleged victim testifies to watching Chen violently assault her husband before turning his attention to her

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Alleged victims Louis Wan (left) and his wife Leung Pik-kei leave the High Court on Monday. Photo: Jasmine Siu

Published: 6:52pm, 16 Nov 2021Updated: 7:13pm, 16 Nov 2021

An unemployed man on trial for biting off part of a former Hong Kong district councillor’s ear and assaulting three other people during the social unrest of 2019 has apologised in court to one of his alleged victims.

Through his lawyer, defendant Joe Chen, 50, also asked Louis Wan Ho-lun for forgiveness after the latter testified to being slashed in the stomach outside the Cityplaza shopping centre in Taikoo Shing as he and his family were on their way to dinner on November 3, 2019.

“The defendant has harmed several people, including you,” defence counsel James Cheng said to Wan on Tuesday. “Can you forgive the defendant today?”

But before Wan could answer, Madam Justice Judianna Barnes interrupted and observed that question had nothing to do with the trial.

Chen has pleaded not guilty to three counts of wounding with intent and one of common assault over the alleged attacks on Wan, his wife, her cousin and then district councillor Andrew Chiu Ka-yin on that November night.