Community Service For Teen Over Shop Damage

A teenager has been ordered to perform 200 hours of community service after he admitted damaging a mainland-owned bubble tea shop during an anti-government protest in May.

At the Sha Tin court on Monday, magistrate Jason Wan accepted a defence request to sentence 16-year-old Chow Kin-nok to perform community service after his probation report said the youngster had no criminal record and expressed remorse.

Wan said while the offence was serious, the young defendant had learnt a valuable lesson and compensated the owner of the business.

Chow pleaded guilty to damaging the display of two cashiers and an Octopus payment machine at the Hey Tea shop in New Town Plaza, Sha Tin. Damage was estimated at HK$15,200.

Five other teenagers face charges in the case, including resisting arrest and obstructing police officers.