6 jailed for brutal attack on officer in bar Covid check

Plain-clothes policeman suffered broken rib in violent ordeal that lasted nearly one hour

Six men were yesterday jailed for up to 40 months for false imprisonment and assaulting a police officer in a bar after he conducted a compliance check for Covid-19 regulations in force at the time.

They were sentenced at the District Court for their part in the attack on the plain-clothes policeman who was posing as a customer at UFO bar in Tsim Sha Tsui on December 19, 2021.

Judge Adriana Noelle Tse Ching said all defendants faced the same criminal liability as they had chosen to take part in a very serious offence that had “blatantly challenged law enforcement” and left an officer with a broken rib as well as bruises and scratches on his face and body.

Tse added that Sae Chua Ho-yan, 24, who was the DJ in the bar, was “instigating the whole event” as he pointed out the officer’s identity, shouted “there is a goddamn police” and sparked the group’s assault.

Chua had also asked the officer why he was at the bar and whether he was involved in an operation with other police who were outside at the time.

The officer was dragged through the bar and locked in a room where he was thrown to the floor, kicked, slapped and insulted for nearly an hour.

Five other defendants – Li Waikwan, 27, Mak Wai-lok, 29, Kong Tong-hei, 26, Wu Ka-chun, 27, and Pau Chun-hang, 22 – also took part in the attack.

Wu, when questioned by police, also admitted punching the officer and slapping his face twice. He pleaded guilty to wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Pau was said to have shouted “I hate police the most” and suggested frisking the officer to teach him a lesson.

The judge found Chua and Pau had stirred up hatred towards police when it was reasonable for officers to patrol near bars.

In earlier mitigation, the counsel for bar owner Li said he had been afraid a police inspection would cause him loss of business as he had breached Covid rules at the time.

Tse stressed the severity of the case was reflected in the perversion of the course of justice alongside the psychological impact the attack had on the officer. The court heard a psychological examination found the officer suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and constant nightmares.

With aggravating factors considered, Tse ordered 40 months jail after she set the starting point for sentencing at five years for false imprisonment for all six accused, and considered they had earned a one-third discount reflecting their timely guilty plea.