'He touched me': Woman protester counters Hong Kong policeman's claim she 'attacked' him with her breast
A female protester against cross-border traders yesterday told her assault trial that a police inspector touched her breast when he tried get hold of her rucksack during a protest in Yuen Long.
Protester Ng Lai-ying, 30, said when Chief Inspector Chan Ka-po stretched his arm to reach the strap of the bag on her shoulder, his hand landed on the upper part of her left breast.
"I was so scared and I yelled 'indecent assault' immediately," she recalled, of the moments after the March 1 incident.
Ng, who was arrested on the day, denies one count of assaulting Chan, who made a counter-claim, accusing Ng of using her breast to bump him.
A case against Chan was not pursued, Tuen Mun Court heard, as Ng decided not to report the alleged indecent assault to police after seeking legal advice from the Duty Lawyer Service.
Conducting her own defence, Ng told Deputy Magistrate Michael Chan Pik-kiu that Chan already had his head leaned towards her forehead even before the alleged incident, which took place on Sau Fu Street.
She said after Chan's alleged act, her co-defendant and boyfriend, Kwong Chun-lung, 20, came to her rescue by grabbing hold of Chan's hand. But they were hit with pepper spray used by Chan's colleagues.
The pair retreated a few steps after being sprayed, she said, but returned a while later to search for her mobile phone. Despite being permitted to return by two police officers, they were still apprehended, during which Ng sustained a broken nose after being pushed from behind.
Testifying earlier against the pair and their two co-defendants, Chan claimed he was stopped by Kwong when he tried to arrest a 14-year-old pupil, who was later charged with assaulting Chan in the same case. Kwong faced one count of obstructing Chan.
Another co-defendant, Poon Tsz-hang, 22 faced the same charge as Kwong, but involving a police sergeant.
All three co-defendants deny the charges. The case continues on July 8.
