Man who bit off politician’s ear has jail sentence reduced by six months on appeal

A man jailed for 14.5 years after being found guilty of biting off a former district councilor’s ear and attacking three others during the 2019 social unrest had his sentence reduced by half a year on appeal.

The man, Joe Chen, was previously found guilty by a jury on three counts of wounding with intent – an offense punishable by life in prison – and one of common assault .

The court previously heard that he bit off then-district councilor Andrew Chiu’s ear, slashed a husband and wife with a knife, and assaulted a relative of the couple in Tai Koo Shing during a protest in November 2019.

Handing down judgment on Wednesday, Court of Appeal judges disagreed with the appellant's lawyers that the starting point of the sentence was too high. The court also rejected the lawyer’s claim that Chen had assaulted the four because he was triggered, noting that Chen was the one who initiated the brawl.

However, the judges said Chen had "showed his sincerity" by starting to make compensation arrangements even before the trial of this case began, which greatly reduced the suffering of the four victims during the civil claim process.

Considering the payment as a mitigating factor, the judges reduced Chen’s jail sentence by six months to 14 years.

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Man who bit off councilor's ear in Taikoo Shing gets 14.5 years in jail

Tai Koo terror