Three people jailed last month for rioting, alongside pro-democracy lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, have filed appeals against their convictions and sentences.
Yip Kam-sing, Marco Yeung, and Wan Chung-ming were found guilty last month of rioting in Yuen Long MTR station on July 21, 2019, during pro-democracy protests and unrest. They have filed a bid to overturn their convictions and jail terms, according to local media citing judiciary records on Thursday.
A hearing date has yet to be scheduled.
The trio were among seven defendants that District Judge Stanley Chan found guilty of rioting in December and sentenced to prison in February.
Yip was jailed for 25 months, Yeung 31 months, and Wan 28 months.
Lam got 37 months – the longest jail term – for “provoking” the white-clad men who indiscriminately attacked commuters, protesters, and passers-by in Yuen Long MTR station.
The then Democratic Party legislator was among those beaten and injured during the assault.
Guilty verdicts
Judge Chan said in his judgment last December that Yeung had “clearly” taken part in a riot, citing surveillance and news footage of the defendant spraying a fire hose at the white-clad men. The action had amounted to an “act of provocation and a breach of the peace.”
Chan said that Wan, who had admitted during his testimony to throwing a water bottle to distract the men in white, provided support and morale to those inside the paid area of the station. He also said that Wan had tried to “rationalise” Yeung’s use of the fire hose.
The judge cited the prosecution’s evidence that Yip had thrown an umbrella at the white-shirted men in finding him guilty, and rejected the defence’s argument that he had only intended to stop the provocations of the men.
“Obviously, [Yip’s] targets were the white-clad men outside the gates. He did not have any intention to dissuade those inside the paid area,” Chan said.
The Yuen Long attack occurred during protests that erupted in the summer of 2019 over a since-axed extradition bill. The protests and unrest escalated into sometimes violent displays of dissent against police behaviour, amid calls for democracy and anger over Beijing’s encroachment.
The police were criticised for responding slowly to the Yuen Long incident, with some officers seen leaving the scene or interacting with the white-clad men.
