Banker pleads not guilty to assaulting policeman

A banker has pleaded not guilty to assaulting an off-duty police officer in December 2019, with his lawyer on Friday accusing the policeman of unnecessarily brandishing his baton before the alleged assault.

Yu Shu-sang, the police officer who was allegedly assaulted, told Eastern Court that Samuel Bickett had knelt on his chest and slapped him while he tried to snatch the baton, in Causeway Bay MTR Station.

Yu said he told Bickett that he was a police officer but couldn’t produce his warrant card as he was clutching his baton.

The officer added that he had used the baton to try to subdue another man, who he said had jumped over MTR ticket gates, and had chased him all the way to street level.

Yu said he went back into the station after he lost sight of the alleged gate-jumper, and was still clutching his baton.

But Bickett’s lawyer said the weapon was not necessary in the crowded Causeway Bay station.

Yu said he was only being defensive as someone had tried to attack him.

The court was shown video clips supposedly depicting a man’s attempt to take the baton away from Yu, after the officer yelled at a passerby who he said had attacked him.

The footage also purportedly showed Yu falling during the scuffle, and being slapped as he was pinned to the ground.

The hearing will resume on Monday.