Two jailed for clash that led to rare Hong Kong protest death

The skirmish, which usually took place in the Sheung Shui neighbourhood within November 2019, was one among dozens that will broke out among ideological opponents at the height of Hong Kong’s massive protests.

The defendants made plans to protest jointly on the day, which showed some level of premeditation, according to the judge.

Earlier media balances of the Sheung Shui conflict placed blame on both sides, however the judge praised the federal government loyalists as “unsung heroes” who served selflessly and courageously when they stood up to the protesters.

The judge said the deterrence sentence has been needed, with a small reduction after considering the duo’s young age plus their lack of adult supervision.

The particular judge also commended the police for being “Asia’s finest” and performing a thorough investigation into the case.

On trial, defence attorneys argued that the duo were threatened by police to acknowledge responsibility for the dying.

In courtroom, police officers denied accusations of coercion or even intimidation.