Woman acquitted over laser devices and spray paint
Bastillepost · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago4 MIN
Summary
A 21-year-old woman was acquitted at Eastern Court on Thursday over two charges arising from her possession of laser-beam devices and spray paint in Oil Street, North Point, on 8 September 2019. The court held that the prosecution had not proved beyond reasonable doubt that she had the necessary criminal intent at the time she was stopped.
Key Points
- Defendant Chan Yuk-ching (陳昫菁), 21, described in court as a casino employee, denied both charges and was found not guilty after trial.
- She was charged with possessing offensive weapons in a public place, namely two devices capable of emitting laser beams, on Oil Street between 218 Electric Road and 147 King's Road.
- She also faced a criminal damage-related charge over spray paint allegedly kept or controlled with intent to use, or allow others to use, it to damage another person's property.
- Magistrate Wong Ching-yu said the stop took place in North Point where there was no protest, riot or crowd gathering, and the defendant had only been walking on the street beforehand.
- The magistrate noted she had not fled and was not carrying items commonly used for attack, self-defence or vandalism, leading to acquittals on both counts.
Why It Matters
The ruling turned on whether intent could be inferred from possession alone, and the court found the surrounding circumstances were insufficient to do so beyond reasonable doubt. The case also drew attention because the defendant had left Hong Kong in 2021 after being arrested in 2019 and was re-arrested only after returning from Australia in 2026