10 months' jail for protester who spat on officer

Protesters barricaded police headquarters and sprayed the building with slogans. File photo: RTHK

A protester has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for spitting at a police officer, criminal damage and unlawful assembly.



Ng Ting-pong, 43, had pleaded guilty to the charges in relation to a siege of the police headquarters during in June, during which he sprayed paint on the building's windows.



The Eastern Court said his spitting - which constitutes assaulting an officer - was "dirty and despicable".



Police Chief Inspector Wu Miu-yee welcomed the sentence, saying it reflected the criminality of the offence.



Wu said: "When the magistrate handed down the sentence, she also emphasised that this is a violent case which is not acceptable, and we have to uphold the rule of law by giving a stringent sentence in this case."