Hong Kong protests: man shot while trying to take policeman’s gun sentenced to 6 years in prison

Patrick Chow, 23, was found guilty of attempted robbery, obstructing a police officer and attempted escape from lawful custody

Former student was set to be sentenced in October but sitting was adjourned because he had a medical condition and was taken to hospital

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Patrick Chow appears at Wan Chai Court. Chow, who was shot while trying to take a police officer’s gun during a protest in 2019, was found guilty of three charges. Photo: Jelly Tse

Published: 3:46pm, 30 Nov 2022Updated: 6:21pm, 30 Nov 2022

A protester who was shot at point-blank range by a policeman at the height of Hong Kong’s anti-government protests three years ago has been jailed for six years on three charges, including trying to steal the officer’s handgun and escape from custody.

Patrick Chow Pak-kwan, 23, appeared at the District Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for attempted robbery, obstructing a police officer and attempting to escape from lawful custody.

Judge Adriana Noelle Tse Ching slammed Chow for his “utter disregard for law and order”, saying he had shown no restraint in harassing the policeman by taking advantage of the number of his protest comrades present.

She also found Chow had intentionally misled the court by making “overblown and inaccurate” claims about his health condition.

Chow, a former student at a vocational education institute, was found guilty in late August and remanded in custody, with the court finding it “completely reasonable” for the policeman to open fire given the life-threatening situation he was in on November 11, 2019.

Co-accused Woo Tsz-kin, 22, was handed the same penalty for attempted robbery and obstruction.

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