A Hong Kong man has been sentenced to four years in prison for fatally assaulting a construction worker who refused to pay HK$800 (US$102) for a bicycle from the defendant.
The High Court on Monday sentenced Wong Koon-ming for manslaughter after a seven-member jury earlier this year cleared him of murder but convicted him of the lesser charge following a week-long trial.
The court heard that Wong, 50 and unemployed, was involved in a violent street brawl with 58-year-old Lo Chun-shing at Tin Yan Estate in Tin Shui Wai on October 29, 2022.
Wong told police he had sold his bicycle to Lo for HK$800, but the deceased refused to pay after claiming it was stolen.
The defendant repeatedly pressed for payment in the days leading up to the fight on October 29, when the pair attacked each other with iron pipes outside Yan Ying House.
Lo fell to the ground after being struck in the head. He never regained consciousness and died in hospital two days later.
In mitigation, the defence said Wong, who has two daughters with his ex-wife, made ends meet by taking odd jobs while receiving a monthly allowance under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance scheme.
