19-year-old is spared jail time

A 19-year-old protester involved in a battering ram attack on the Legislative Council building on Nov 19 last year avoided jail after renouncing his actions and pledging to obey the law. Cheng Yeung was given 150 hours of community service, with his lawyer telling the court Cheng was very emotional during the illegal "Occupy Central" protests when he committed his offense. The courtroom was uncharacteristically empty during sentencing on Tuesday. It was devoid of "Occupy" supporters who have been regular visitors at court appearances of arrested protesters. But the 19-year-old's mother was present. She wept after learning her son had narrowly avoided jail. Also on Tuesday, three people who were earlier sentenced to community service for similar attacks were sent to prison for three and a half months. This was after the prosecution appealed the earlier sentences.