Man Who Stabbed Junius Ho Jailed For Nine Years

A 31-year-old man was on Monday sentenced to nine years in prison for what a judge described as the "senseless and most horrific" stabbing of legislator Junius Ho.

Tung Pak-fai, who is unemployed, had pleaded guilty to wounding Ho and the lawmaker's bodyguard on November 6, 2019, in Tuen Mun.

Ho was campaigning ahead of the 2019 district council elections when Tung approached him with a bunch of flowers before taking out a 33-centimetre-long knife and stabbing him.

The politician suffered a two-centimetre wound to his chest, and his bodyguard was also slashed.

Passing sentence, High Court judge Esther Toh said the attack was premeditated and the defendant was seen on CCTV visiting the scene two days beforehand.

She also noted that Tung had taken two knives with him on the day of attack.

"This was a senseless and most horrific attack on a citizen going on a legitimate business in Hong Kong," Toh said, adding that a deterrent sentence was needed as such a "vicious" act shouldn't be condoned in a civilised society like Hong Kong.

"Whatever the motive was, be it political, it's no excuse for such violence on the streets," she said.

The judge also referred to Ho's psychological report, saying he was still worried months after the attack, although his resilience and optimism had helped him overcome the challenges.