HKer convicted over online comments made after police knife attack in 2021

A Hong Kong man has been found guilty of inciting others to insult others over online comments made after a knife attack on a police officer three years ago.

Deputy District Judge Amy Chan sentenced Yung Cheong-ming at the West Kowloon Courthouse on Friday.

Yung’s comments, posted on the online forum LIHKG, referred to an incident on July 1, 2021, the anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China, in which a man stabbed a police officer before taking his own life. The officer survived and suffered injuries to his left shoulder.

Among Yung’s posts after news of that evening’s incident broke were: “Fucking stab his father and mother to death” and “Next time stab where the small intestine is.” center of the body.”

“No other interpretation”

Chan found on Friday that Yung’s statement was contradictory, noting that under police caution he admitted he was glad the officer had been stabbed but testified in court that he was merely “eating peanuts” – a Cantonese slang for watching something unfold on the sidelines.

In her Chinese-language verdict, Chan ruled that there could be no other interpretation of Yung’s LIHKG comments than what he said in the police interview, rejecting the defense’s argument that Yung did not intend to incite violence.

Timmy Yip, a private lawyer for the prosecution, had previously told the court that Yung’s comments, in the context of the social unrest and violent incident, were likely to incite others to “unlawfully and maliciously” injure a police officer.

Chan also noted that Yung said in the police interview that he was thinking about what he had commented on the forum, pointing to his comments about how to kill or maximize injuries to the police officer in the stabbing on the anniversary of the surrender.

The fact that Yung did not believe he could possibly have incited someone to commit an act of violence against a police officer was not a legitimate defense, the judge ruled, adding that in her opinion there was a real possibility that someone could be in the midst of the “incitement.” could have been instigated. Anti-police sentiment” at the time.

Acquittal not applicable in 2022

The defense had previously cited a 2022 district court decision acquitting a chauffeur of inciting others to attack police officers, in which Judge Douglas Yau ruled he was merely venting his anger.

However, Chan rejected that argument, ruling that the 2022 decision had “extremely limited” reference value because the message was sent to a private WhatsApp group and not a public forum like LIHKG.

Chan adjourned Yung’s mitigation hearing until November 1, when prosecutors will make submissions on similar solicitation cases.

Yung’s case was heard as a district court case, where the maximum sentence is seven years, although the hearings took place at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building.

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