Court Finds Student Not Guilty Of Rioting

A 20-year-old university student has become the first person to be acquitted of a riot charge in relation to last year's anti-government protests.

The prosecution had claimed that Lam Tsz-ho was seen throwing a brick at police officers during clashes in Wong Tai Sin on National Day.

At the District Court, two police officers testified that their eyes never left the defendant – from the moment he threw the brick until he was subdued.

They said Lam stood out from the crowd of protesters because he was the only person not wearing a helmet.

But Lam's defence lawyer argued that police had simply "arrested whoever was wearing black" and they got the wrong person.

The lawyer also said that the officers’ views were blocked momentarily when a fire engine drove by.

Delivering his verdict, Judge Sham Siu-man said there had been chaos everywhere on the day, and it would have been difficult for the officers to focus solely on one person.

Sham also noted that the prosecution did not provide any photos or videos as evidence, and said the testimony of the two officers alone did not prove that Lam was guilty beyond reasonable doubt.