Elderly woman jailed for slapping 5-year-old in APM fight

A 68-year-old woman was sentenced to 20 days in prison on Thursday after slapping a 5-year-old girl during a fight at the APM shopping mall in Kwun Tong.

The case involved three defendants — Leung Lai-ha, 68, her 34-year-old daughter Ng Ka-wun, and mainland tourist Xu Yang, 34.

The three were charged with fighting in a public place after a dispute over a basketball in the mall’s atrium on August 26. Leung also faced a common assault charge for allegedly hitting Xu’s daughter, leaving the child’s face red and swollen.

The incident began when Leung’s grandson and Xu’s daughter argued over a basketball. The three adults did not know one another.

Leung pleaded guilty to both charges. She was sentenced to 20 days in jail and fined HK$3,000.

Acting Principal Magistrate Li Chi-ho said anger should not be taken out on children and that a prison sentence was unavoidable.

Ng and Xu, both mothers of the children involved, were each ordered to enter into a HK$1,000 recognizance to keep the peace for 12 months. The charge of fighting in a public place against each woman was withdrawn.

Xu had initially pleaded guilty to the fighting charge. But after hearing the facts of the case, she said she disagreed with some of them, claiming her daughter had not hit Leung’s grandson. 

Xu acknowledged hitting Leung, saying she “had held back for a long time.” She then asked to be bound over to keep the peace, and the request was granted.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓