3 Hongkongers plead guilty to criminal damage charges over vandalism on 2022 Tiananmen crackdown anniversary
Hong Kong Free Press
Two women and one man have pleaded guilty to eight counts of criminal damage over power boxes, lampposts and other public facilities vandalised on the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown last year.
Defendants Yeong Yuen-shek, Ng Ka-sin and Chan Yuk-kiu, all aged 22, entered their guilty pleas at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday, local media reported. The trio were accused of damaging property in various areas across the city on June 4, 2022.
On that day, the city marked 33 years since Beijing’s crackdown on a student-led movement, ending months-long demonstrations. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People’s Liberation Army was deployed to disperse protesters in Beijing.
According to local media, the trio, who originally faced 12 charges, pleaded guilty to eight. The prosecution decided not to proceed with the remaining four charges and they were kept on court file.
Yeong, Ng and Chan first appeared in court in June, more than a year after they were apprehended in June 2022, after police found more than 200 instances of graffiti of the same design in Tsuen Wan, Mong Kok, Wong Tai Sin and other districts.
The prosecution alleged that the three defendants vandalised a total of five power boxes, two parking meters, two post boxes, four lampposts, two traffic light posts, three rubbish bins, and one speed camera on June 4, 2022.
The damaged property was located in Shek Kip Mei, Apliu Street, Wong Chuk Street, Lai Chi Kok Road, Shanghai Street, Portland Street, Hamilton Street, Nathan Road and Fa Yuen Street.
According to local media, police uncovered 39 cans of spray paint and two stencils at Yeong’s residence when he was arrested. Yeong and Ng, who were a couple, had discussed scrawling the Chinese characters for “June 4” on the streets of Hong Kong in late May 2022. Yeong was said to have made a stencil and told Ng to wear something she would rarely wear.
In mitigation, the defence said Yeong and Ng were both set workers and committed the offences under the influence of the “heated social atmosphere,” local media reports read. All three defendants were remorseful and pleaded for a lenient sentence, local media reported.
Acting Principal Magistrate Veronica Heung adjourned the sentencing of the trio to September 21 to await background reports on the defendants. She also ordered the three to repay the government HK$417 each to cover cleaning fees for the vandalised facilities.
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