Yuen Long Accused Quizzed Over Shrine Attack Claims

The judge presiding over a trial of eight men charged with rioting during the Yuen Long mob attack in 2019 has questioned a defendant’s claim that he was only there because he had heard a group of people intended to attack an ancestral hall in the area.

District court judge Eddie Yip said he could not understand why the crowd on July 21, 2019 did not just bypass the villagers confronting them and use other entrances to villages, if that's where they were planning to go.

The judge made the comment as 57-year-old Ng Wai-nam, charged with rioting, was being questioned by his lawyer.

Ng is among six men who deny a rioting charge, while two others have pleaded guilty.

He earlier told the court he had only been in the area on the night in question to eat dinner and steamed egg custard, but got out of his car on Long Wo Road near Yuen Long MTR Station to find out what was happening when he saw two groups quarrelling there.

He said a female villager then told him that the crowd had wanted to “demolish an ancestral hall”.

During the hearing on Thursday, Ng noted that there are five ancestral halls in the area – each located in one of the five villages there – but the female villager didn’t specify which ancestral hall the crowd intended to bring down.

The judge then said he didn't understand why the crowd had to gather on Long Wo Road if their intention was to attack an ancestral hall.

Ng had initially argued that people had to use a nearby entrance to enter the villages.

But when questioned by prosecutors further, he admitted that there are other ways people could go.

Meanwhile, a defence witness, known as X, told the court she had met Ng on the night in question.

X, who owns a shop in Yuen Long, said Ng was a regular customer and had stayed in her shop for dinner at around 9pm to 11pm that night.

X said Ng had asked her if she wanted to have steamed egg custard before leaving the shop, but she refused the offer. She added that she went to visit him in hospital later that night after learning he had been injured.

When asked whether she had spoken to Ng since hearing he would be going on trial, X paused for more than 10 seconds, before replying “no”.

The hearing was adjourned to April 28, when both sides are expected to make their final submissions.