Civic Party member Ken Tsang Kin-chiu has been sentenced to five weeks in prison after being found guilty of three counts of assaulting police and resisting arrest.
Tsang, 40, was accused of attacking police officers with liquid from the embankment of the underpass at Lung Wo Road and then resisting arrest during the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement demonstrations.
For his police assault conviction, he will serve five weeks behind bars. For resisting arrest, he will serve three weeks. As the sentences will executed at the same time, he will serve a total of five weeks in jail.
He is to be released on bail for HK$300 and will have 14 days to hand in a notice of appeal.
In handing down his sentencing, Principal Magistrate Peter Law said that Tsang did not intend to hurt the police, though a sentence reduction would not be appropriate owing to the social environment at the time of the incident. He said that he recognised that Tsang was an experienced social worker who participated in public affairs.
Law said that although Tsang was dissatisfied with the police lack of restraint, he also lacked restraint and caused harm to innocent police officers he had not met. Pouring foul-smelling liquid on to them amounted to a severe insult and taunt. He said that it was not a light crime and Tsang showed no remorse.
After the session was adjourned, members of the public shouted “no justice” and “law is dead” from the gallery.
Immediate appeal
Tsang, who pled not guilty throughout the trial, thanked those who helped and support him during the process.
“Today, the sentence has been handed down… I am unhappy, disappointed but I respect the Hong Kong judicial system. So I will appeal immediately,” he told reporters outside court.
In a separate court case, seven police officers are facing charges for allegedly kicking and punching Tsang in a “dark corner” in Tamar, Admiralty on the same day. They will stand trial from this Wednesday and have pleaded not guilty.
Text: Chantal Yuen and Tom Grundy.
