Hong Kong protests: computer technician jailed for 32 months over rioting outside police station
- District Court also fines Jason Tam, 24, for smashing glass window at Tseung Kwan O Police Station amid anti-government protests in 2019
- Tam was among 300 people who paralysed traffic in the Kowloon East district in rally against now-withdrawn extradition bill
A computer technician has been jailed for 32 months for rioting outside a Hong Kong police station after an approved rally against a now-withdrawn extradition bill three years ago descended into chaos.
The District Court on Monday also fined Jason Tam Ka-keung HK$3,000 (US$385) for smashing a glass window at Tseung Kwan O Police Station with a flying brick amid confrontations between protesters and officers during the early hours of August 5 in 2019, the year of anti-government demonstrations in the city.
Shortly before the sentence, the 24-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to rioting pursuant to a plea bargain, with prosecutors agreeing not to proceed with a second charge of criminal damage provided that he admit liability.
Tam was among 300 people who had paralysed traffic in the Kowloon East district that night to show anger with police, as they accused officers of knowingly breaking the law and colluding with triad members during the movement that year sparked by the extradition bill.
Police were accused of inaction when a group of rod-wielding, white-clad men attacked protesters and railway passengers in Yuen Long on July 21, 2019. The force has said its attention was diverted due to large-scale demonstrations elsewhere in the city.
The District Court heard protesters began surrounding Tseung Kwan O Police Station in the evening of August 4, after a lawful procession where participants demanded the withdrawal of an extradition bill which would have enabled the transfer of fugitives to mainland China.
Hong Kong protester shot trying to take policeman’s gun given 6 years in jail
The siege continued into the next day, with protesters hurling bricks and shining laser lights at the police building. Some also vandalised a gate at the entrance and water-filled barriers surrounding the premises.
The disturbance cost police more than HK$130,000 for repairs, including nearly 100 glass windows smashed and walls defaced with graffiti. The traffic lights and security cameras in the station’s vicinity were also damaged, the court heard.
Hong Kong police officer has not returned to full duty over a year after attack
Tam, then 22, was seen assembling with other protesters at the scene and throwing a brick at the station from close range. He was arrested nearby his residence that morning.
The computer technician was charged in December 2020, nearly 16 months after he was released on police bail. He pleaded guilty on Monday just before the start of his trial.
Defence lawyers said Tam had committed the offence impulsively under the influence of peers, adding he had learned a hard lesson and would not reoffend.
Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che said the riot involved large-scale violence targeting police which seriously disrupted social harmony.
He said Tam’s offence could in principle be penalised with 4½ years imprisonment, but decided to reduce his sentence in light of his clear record and guilty plea.
Rioting is punishable by up to seven years in jail in the District Court.
