A 24-year-old Hong Kong man has been jailed for attacking a woman who rejected his sexual advances.
The man, surnamed Ng, was sentenced to three years, one month, and 23 days in prison at the District Court this morning, Oriental Daily reports. In court, the judge said the case was “brutal”, but reduced the defendant’s jail term from the starting sentence of four years and nine months by a third in recognition of his guilty plea. The judge further reduced the sentence by a week due to Ng’s HKD20,000 compensation to his victim, a 27-year-old woman surnamed Yang.
Ng, who worked as a waiter, met Yang at a dinner party in Sai Kung on December 19, 2018, HK01 reports. At around 1am, the pair went to the waterfront promenade to drink and talk. Ng, who claimed in court that he had “fallen in love at first sight” with Yang, propositioned her sexually at about 2am.
After Yang rejected him, Ng reportedly tried to kiss her, after which Yang screamed and bit his earlobe. Ng, who said in court that he felt “betrayed” by Yang’s actions, grabbed onto her arm to prevent her from leaving and hit her over the head with a brick, knocking her unconscious.
A Sai Kung resident who witnessed the attack from a nearby apartment said Ng hit Yang with the brick between 10 to 15 times over the course of one minute, and continued attacking her even after she fell to the ground. The witness called emergency services, who took Yang to hospital for treatment.
Yang sustained multiple facial fractures and lacerations and was hospitalized for 16 days. She still bears visible scars and said in court that she experiences dizziness, headaches, and urinary incontinence as a result of the attack. While Yang did not provide medical evidence to indicate that she was suffering any permanent physical injuries, the judge agreed that her disfigurement would affect her psychologically.
Shortly after he was arrested, Ng reportedly claimed in a video interview that he had in fact abandoned Yang at the promenade after they were accosted by a man who “scolded and attacked” Yang. CCTV footage of the incident showed Yang being attacked by one man, whom she identified as Ng.
During mitigation, Ng claimed that he was drunk and emotional as he was going through a divorce at the time, and was “troubled” by the thought of losing his wife and daughter. The judge accepted that Ng was inebriated and didn’t commit a pre-meditated crime, but said he was “absurd” for feeling betrayed by Yang. Subsequently, the judge said Ng’s sentence would serve as a “deterrent” for others who felt indifferent towards Ng’s behavior.
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