Hong Kong protests: jobless man who bit off ex-politician’s ear and attacked 3 others has jail term cut by 6 months to 14 years
- Joe Chen, 53, who had gone on drunken rampage at Cityplaza mall, has his sentence reduced by six months to 14 years on appeal
- Judge accepts his ‘sincerity’ in compensating victims HK$3.93 million by selling family home, but rejects other defence claims
The Court of Appeal on Wednesday reduced former businessman Joe Chen’s jail sentence to 14 years in light of the “sincerity” the 53-year-old showed in paying a total of HK$3.93 million (US$502,494) in compensation to his victims.
Mr Justice Derek Pang Wai-cheong in a written judgment said the restitution made by the accused was “a large sum that was not seen very often”, adding the impact on Chen’s family could not be written off as insignificant as he had to raise money by selling their home.
“An accused who is sued and even loses [a civil claim] can do whatever it takes to delay execution [of a court’s order for compensation]. Not only did the appellant not take such a course of action, [he] made substantial arrangements for compensation before the trial of the present case started,” the judge wrote.
“This shows his sincerity, and to a considerable extent, his conduct has also largely saved the four victims from the agony they otherwise have to endure in claiming civil liabilities.”
However, the court dismissed other grounds of appeal, including complaints about the trial judge’s failure to calibrate the sentence against similar precedents, and Chen’s “positive good character” as reflected in his consent to donate his body for research after his death.
A High Court jury convicted Chen of three counts of wounding with intent and one of common assault over the incidents outside the Cityplaza shopping centre in Quarry Bay on November 3, 2019.
