Government prosecutors have lodged an appeal for heavier sentences for four people involved in an attack on a prisoner, including a guard who wounded the inmate by thrusting a stick into his rectum.
Pik Uk Correctional Institution. File photo: Wikimedia Commons.Local media reported on Wednesday that the Department of Justice had filed an appeal against the sentences relating to a December 2023 assault at Pik Uk Correctional Institution.
In August, four defendants were jailed for wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Tam Lik-chung, a former Correctional Services Department assistant officer, received the longest sentence of three years, with District Court Judge Frankie Yiu ruling that he had ordered other inmates to take part in the attack.
Tam had pleaded guilty to the charge, along with inmate Ho Lik-wun, who was jailed for four months.
Two inmates, Bosco Lee and Brian Lam, pleaded not guilty to the same wounding charge and were convicted after trial. They were jailed for six months each.
A Correctional Services Department vehicle. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.A second prison officer, Kwok Siu-fai, was acquitted of misconduct in public office. An inmate, Li Yuxuan, was also acquitted of the wounding charge.
According to case details read out in court, the two prison officers, Tam and Kwok, were playing bingo in an activity room when an 18-year-old inmate threw baby powder on Tam from behind. After the game, Tam told the victim to go to the staircase and demanded he remove his trousers.
The prison officer then rammed a wooden stick into the victim’s rectum multiple times through his underwear. The victim was sent to hospital for surgery and temporarily required a stoma bag. The victim revealed the cause of his injuries to his family two weeks after the attack.