A university graduate convicted of four protest-related offenses was sentenced to five and a half years in prison on Monday in one of the longest sentences handed down for an incident during the 2019 unrest in Hong Kong.

To Kai-wah, 24, was convicted of assaulting a police officer, wounding with intent, causing grievous bodily harm and disorderly conduct in a public place during a July 2019 protest in Sha Tin’s New Town Plaza shopping mall. To had bitten off part of a police officer’s finger while being subdued in the mall.

The District Court judge told To that his behavior was “savage” and had caused serious injury to the victim with long-lasting effects.

The judge added that he believed To had not expressed any sincere remorse, although one of To’s former colleagues had written a mitigation letter that said he regretted his mistake. To had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The judge said he did not regard the ages of To’s elderly mother and grandparents as strong factors for a lighter sentence, as To should have known before the incident that there was a possibility of being sentenced to jail.

The judge said that the sentence should take into account the police officer’s injury, the progress of his recovery and the extent of the long-lasting effects. The judge said that the officer was carrying out his duties at the time, which made To’s criminal responsibility more serious.

To’s lawyer did not deny the seriousness of the case but pointed to his client’s age and said that the sentence should also take into account his rehabilitation. The defense lawyer added that To had made a momentary mistake and proposed a sentence of between two and three years.

The judge called this sentencing proposal unrealistic and said the chance to obtain the most favorable sentence for To, who pleaded not guilty, had been wasted.

The jail sentence of five and a half years is among the longest handed down for an incident arising from the 2019 protests. In January this year, a protester convicted in relation to an August 2019 assault on a Global Times reporter at Hong Kong International Airport was also sentenced to five and a half years in prison.

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