判刑理由書撮要(由AI生成)
以下撮要以AI生成及／或翻譯，內容以原來的判刑理由書為準。
The judgment stated that from 3 to 5 February 2020, six defendants rented a hotel room on Nathan Road near Yau Ma Tei and made multiple trips to nearby hardware stores and convenience stores to purchase petrol, sulphuric acid, liquefied petroleum gas canisters and various tools to manufacture petrol bombs. On the evening of 4 February, five of the defendants, dressed in dark clothing, set up tarpaulins and debris as roadblocks at the junction of Gansu Street and Nathan Road, and threw five lit petrol bombs, causing the roadblocks and the road surface to catch fire and be damaged. Afterwards, some of the defendants changed their clothes and fled, and the police arrested two of the defendants and others in the hotel room, seizing ten petrol bombs, petrol, corrosive sulphuric acid, gas canisters, towels, funnels, spray paint and various bomb-making tools and other items. The defendants pleaded guilty to two charges of arson and possession of items with intent to destroy or damage property, and were convicted.
Arson carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment; possession of items with intent to destroy property carries a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment; the usual sentencing range for arson cases not resulting in loss of life or injury is four to six years’ imprisonment.
This case involved a planned, premeditated operation with multiple people dividing tasks, manufacturing and throwing petrol bombs in a densely populated area. Such conduct could cause serious danger to life and property, demonstrating a disregard for public safety; at the time of the incident, social tensions had subsided, but the actions risked reigniting violence, necessitating a severe sentence as a deterrent.
Arson poses a serious threat to public safety, and if it gets out of control the consequences are difficult to remedy; the defendants’ actions were intended to prolong the aftermath of previous social movements without any clear reform agenda; therefore, the judiciary considers that a heavy sentence is necessary to uphold the rule of law and public order.
After considering the guilty pleas and the lack of sufficient mitigating factors, the court determined that the standard sentence for the arson offence was five years and six months, and for the possession offence four years. After consolidation, each defendant was sentenced to a total of fifty months’ imprisonment, with part of the sentence to be served in instalments. (Translated from Chinese to English by AI)
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