TSUI PING SUM v. THE QUEEN
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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF HONG KONG
(APPELLATE JURISDICTION)
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 187 OF 1973
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| BETWEEN | ||
| TSUI Ping-sum | Appellant | |
| and | ||
| THE QUEEN | Respondent |
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Coram: Huggins, J.
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JUDGMENT
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1. The Appellant appeals against a sentence of nine months’ imprisonment for possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. At 1:35 a.m. he was stopped and searched by the police. They found a knife with one end tucked into his shoe and the other fastened to his ankle with a piece of string. The weapon was seven inches in length.
2. When he first appeared before the magistrate the Appellant said he had borrowed the knife to peel fruit and did not want it to be found on him so he hid it in his shoe. At a subsequent hearing he admitted that that was not true.
3. This Appellant has one previous conviction for robbery with aggravation apart from numerous previous convictions for larceny from the person. The learned magistrate thought that the minimum sentence of six months’ imprisonment was inappropriate and on mature reconsideration in his view even the present sentence is quite inadequate.
4. I am not saying that a slightly heavier sentence might not have been justified but I am certainly not going to interfere either way. I do say that there are far too many people using knives for fighting and for committing offences of theft and the sooner people realise that they will receive severe sentences if they are caught carrying offensive weapon in public places the better.
3rd April, 1973