Hong Kong man jailed for possessing bat, chilli spray during 2019 social unrest has sentence reduced on appeal
- Judge reduces 18-month sentence for weapons possession to time served, releasing Lee Yuk-shing after five months behind bars
- The judge sided with a lower court in rejecting Lee’s explanation for possessing the items, but accepted his sentence had been too harsh given there was no evidence he had used them
Mr Justice Alex Lee Wan-tang of the High Court on Friday upheld Lee Yuk-shing’s conviction on one count of possession of offensive weapons in a public place, but allowed his appeal against his sentence and released him on time served after he had spent five months behind bars.
The case stemmed from a police stop-and-search operation in Sheung Shui on August 16, 2019, in which officers intercepted the 21-year-old Lee and his girlfriend in a parked car and found a variety of items in the boot.
The discovery included 19 canisters of spray paint, two spray bottles of red chilli oil, two metal baseball bats, two metal rods, two pairs of gloves, a walking stick, an umbrella, a pair of goggles, a helmet, a black T-shirt and a variety of tools such as screwdrivers, spanners and Allen keys.
Under caution, Lee admitted that all of the items belonged to him, but he contested the weapons charge, offering explanations for the items that were unrelated to the anti-government protests that were rocking the city.
For instance, Lee said he poured the chilli oil around and under his vehicle to keep away snakes, rats, worms and ants. The baseball bats, he explained, had been purchased so he could play with a friend, who owned a ball and the gloves.
