Leniency shown to Hong Kong immigration worker who repeatedly assaulted wife and son
Magistrate accepts one-year probation recommendation, citing risk of job and pension loss, after initially imposing community service sentence
A Hong Kong court has granted further leniency to a senior Immigration Department assistant, placing him on a one-year probation order after he was convicted of repeatedly choking his wife and young son during domestic disputes.
Kowloon City Court heard on Wednesday that the 49-year-old defendant, identified as “ATK”, preferred probation to community service because he would lose his job and the substantial pension accumulated over more than 30 years in the disciplined services.
He earlier admitted to assaulting his 39-year-old wife on three occasions between 2021 and 2024, and his five-year-old son on three occasions between 2023 and 2025.
When sentencing earlier this month, Magistrate Arthur Lam Hei-wei said probation would not adequately reflect the seriousness of the offences, noting the violence had taken place repeatedly over an extended period.
Lam at that time ordered the defendant to perform 200 hours of community service.
But at Wednesday’s review hearing, Lam reconsidered his decision after reviewing the probation officers’ reports, which gave the defendant a positive comment and recommended a supervision order as a suitable sentence.