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A 49-year-old man who assaulted a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) officer, occasioning him actual bodily harm, was sentenced to 120 hours' community service in Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today (May 16). The defendant was also fined $2,000 for dumping litter in a public place.
An Assistant Hawker Control Officer witnessed the man discarding a cigarette butt on Hop Choi Street in Yuen Long on February 14 this year. The officer intended to issue a fixed penalty notice to the man, but the man refused to co-operate and assaulted the officer.
An FEHD spokesman reminded members of the public to co-operate with law enforcement officers. According to section 139 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Chapter 132), any person who wilfully obstructs, resists or uses abusive language to any law enforcement officer in the execution of his duties is liable to a maximum fine of $25,000 and six months' imprisonment.
"To use force against public officers is not right and offenders would have a criminal record when convicted. Furthermore, the FEHD would claim from offenders losses arising from the absence of duty of the injured public officers through civil litigation," he added.
Ends/Thursday, May 16, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:11
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