7 PolyU Rioters Jailed, 2 Sent To Training Centre

The District Court on Saturday sentenced nine people to up to three years and four months in prison, after they were convicted of rioting near Polytechnic University in November 2019.

The defendants, aged between 20 and 29, were charged with rioting after their arrests outside the Diocesan Girls’ School on November 18, 2019.

Two of the defendants, Leung Ka-sing and Jim Lung-heung, were also found guilty of possessing offensive weapons or items fit for unlawful purposes – a pair of scissors, spanners and a can of lighter fuel.

In sentencing, Judge Josiah Lam said the defendants are all young people who want to change society, but they had used wrong ways to express their beliefs.

He said while the court has to consider the deterrent effect of the sentences, the punishments should not be too harsh as these youths still need to rejoin society.

Two defendants who are now 20 years old, Chan Kwok-wai and Chan Ting-kwan, were sent to training centres. Their detention period will range from six months to three years, depending on their conduct.

The other defendants, meanwhile, were jailed for 38 or 40 months.