Hong Kong protests: alleged ear-biter suffered from mental disorder caused by alcohol use, psychiatrist tells court

Dr John Wong Yee-him on Monday initially testified that the defendant, 51-year-old Joe Chen, was a family man with no history of violence, but had a sudden and out-of-character “explosive outburst” because he was experiencing pathological alcohol intoxication during the alleged attacks outside Cityplaza mall in Taikoo Shing on November 3.

“[Chen’s] act of aggression was due to the disease of the mind,” the psychiatrist told the jury after being questioned by Arthur Luk Yee-shun SC, a new member of the defence team.

However, Wong later withdrew his own diagnosis during cross-examination, conceding that Chen had not met one of the four necessary diagnostic criteria for pathological alcohol intoxication, as listed in the World Health Organization’s classification of mental and behavioural disorders.

The expert also conceded that this particular diagnosis, which he described as rare and controversial, had been removed from the latest edition of the WHO list, meaning it was no longer recognised.

But he insisted that Chen’s behaviour could still be explained by another mental disorder, known as acute alcohol intoxication, whose list of symptoms was similar to that of the original diagnosis, only shorter.

Chen has pleaded not guilty to three counts of wounding with intent and one of common assault for allegedly attacking then councillor Andrew Chiu Ka-yin and three civilians.