Hong Kong protests: Unemployed man who bit off an ex-politician’s ear and attacked three others gets his prison sentence reduced from 6 months to 14 years

“A defendant who is sued and even loses (a civil lawsuit) can do anything to delay the execution (of a court compensation order). “The applicant not only failed to take such action but also made significant arrangements for compensation before the proceedings in the present case began,” the judge wrote.

“This demonstrates his sincerity and his conduct also significantly spared the four victims the anguish they would otherwise have to endure in pursuing civil liability.”

However, the court rejected other grounds of appeal, including complaints about the trial judge’s failure to check the verdict against similar precedents and about Chen’s “positive good character” reflected in his agreement to donate his body for research after his death.

A Supreme Court jury convicted Chen of three counts of malicious wounding and one count of common assault over the incidents outside Cityplaza shopping center in Quarry Bay on November 3, 2019.

He attacked Louis Wan Ho-lun and his wife Leung Pik-kei with a fruit knife before knocking their cousin Leung Ying-ying to the ground during a peaceful protest at the mall.

Chen also bit off part of the left ear of Andrew Chiu Ka-yin, then an eastern district councilor, after he came to the group’s aid and tried to stop the attacker from charging at the crowd behind him.

Chen’s lawyers presented a range of defenses during the trial – from provocation and self-defense to insanity – but failed to convince the seven-judge jury that he did not intend to cause grievous bodily harm to his victims.

The attack left Wan in critical condition, having sustained multiple injuries to his upper body, including his back, left shoulder, neck and the area around his navel. His wife also suffered multiple stab wounds to her back.

The damage to Chiu’s ear proved to be permanent as doctors were unable to reattach the bitten part due to poor circulation and were forced to replace it with a prosthesis.

The appeal court heard that the defendant paid Chiu a total of HK$1.9 million in compensation in June 2021, five months before the trial began.

Wan, his wife and their cousin received HK$1 million, HK$750,000 and HK$280,000 in compensation from Chen, respectively, in August 2022.

Separately, six men were charged with rioting and assaulting Chen during the Nov. 3 incident.

The district court is expected to make a verdict in July on two of the defendants, who have denied the charges, before making a verdict on the remaining defendants who pleaded guilty.