A former Hong Kong prison officer has been sentenced to three years in jail for severely wounding an inmate by repeatedly thrusting a stick into the victim’s rectum after the defendant was sprinkled with baby powder during a game of bingo.
District Court Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che on Monday handed down the punishment to Tam Lik-chung, a former Correctional Services Department assistant officer, saying the defendant had committed “a very serious” crime by leading the assault and instructing other inmates to take part.
Tam, now 35 years old, admitted to repeatedly assaulting the victim with the stick at Pik Uk Prison in Sai Kung on December 26, 2023, causing the inmate to suffer from rectal bleeding.
To cover up his wrongdoing, Tam also asked the victim to lie about the cause of his injury by falsely claiming that he had used a pen to “scratch” his behind after finding blood in his stool.
In April, the long-serving officer pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.
Judge Yiu said he had considered several aggravating factors when sentencing Tam.