Photo Accused Suggests Witnesses Imagined Events

The trial of a mainlander accused of criminal contempt of court has opened in the High Court, with the defendant, Tang Lin-ling, admitting taking photos of a court hearing last week, but denying she had broken any law.

Two legal interns gave the court a blow-by-blow account of what they saw during a hearing on another contempt of court case, related to the clearance of an Occupy Movement protest site in 2014.

One said he was sitting right next to Tang during the hearing on May 23, and was bothered by her phone, which he said had been vibrating non-stop.

He said he saw the woman using her WeChat messenger app and noticed that she had apparently uploaded two photos, one of her seat ticket, and another of the entrance to the courtroom.

He said he later saw her snap at least three photos of the court proceedings.

Another pupil barrister corroborated the testimony, saying he also saw Tang pointing her phone towards the centre of the courtroom.

The pair reported what they had seen to a barrister, who then followed up the case with the court clerk.

Tang cross-examined the witnesses herself, having rejected the offer of legal aid. She repeatedly asked both if they really did see her take the photos, or if they had just imagined it.

She also asked them whether they saw other people in the public gallery doing what she described as "irritating things" like typing loudly on their computers. But the witnesses said no.

The photos are alleged to be of lawyers, the court clerk and defendants in the Occupy trial. Tang admits taking photos, but says she doesn't think she is guilty of criminal contempt of court.

However, prosecutors insist that her conduct seriously interfered with the course of justice.

More witnesses and police officers were expected to be summoned on Friday morning.