Two Admit To Rioting At Chow Tsz-lok's Commemoration

Two people have pleaded guilty in the District Court to rioting in connection with an event marking the death of university student Chow Tsz-lok during the anti-government protests last year.

The court heard that the defendants – Wong Yam-choi, 29, who's unemployed, and taxi driver Chan Ming-kwai, 59 – were part of a group that gathered in Tseung Kwan O on the night of November 9, a day after the University of Science and Technology student died in hospital.

The court heard that a man who said he lived in the neighbourhood complained to the police about the noise made by the demonstrators, and he was attacked by the two defendants and others.

Both defendants pleaded guilty to charges of rioting and wounding with intent.

Wong’s lawyer asked for a lenient sentence, saying her involvement in the case was limited, and the offences were not pre-meditated.

The lawyer for Chan, meanwhile, said his client had tried to break up the angry crowd. But he was under the influence of alcohol and was eventually swayed by others.

The pair will be sentenced on November 27.

There has been speculation about Chow’s death, with some suggesting he fell one floor down a carpark in the early hours of November 4 while running away from police tear gas, although this has not been confirmed. An inquest into his death is set to open this month.