A Hong Kong man jailed for 18 years for conspiring to carry out bomb plots in 2020 has applied to appeal his conviction and sentence.
Lukas Ho, described by the judge as the “mastermind” of the plots, is the third and last convicted defendant in the case to lodge an appeal, local court news outlet The Witness reported on Wednesday.
The other two defendants, Lee Ka-pan and Cheung Ka-chun, who were jailed for 16 years and eight months, filed their appeals last week.
Ho, Lee, and Cheung were sentenced in late October.
According to the prosecution, the three conspired to carry out three bomb plots in the wake of the anti-extradition protests and unrest in 2019.
The plots involved planning bomb attacks at Caritas Medical Centre, a public hospital in Sham Shui Po; in a train carriage in Lo Wu MTR station; and near a car park in Tseung Kwan O, where a student fell to his death amid a clash between police and protesters in November 2019.
The court previously heard that the trio resented the police and authorities. Before sentencing, the prosecution read out a psychological assessment describing Ho as “irresponsible,” “rebellious,” and “self-centred.”
The three were among seven defendants charged with conspiring to commit bombing of prescribed objects under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance. The law was enacted in 2002 in line with a binding UN Security Council resolution to implement counter-terrorism measures following the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US.
If convicted, they would have faced life imprisonment.
All seven were found not guilty by a jury in a unanimous verdict in September after a 163-day trial.
They also faced an alternative, lesser charge of conspiring to cause an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property under the Crimes Ordinance.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars.
Lee, Cheung and Ho were convicted by the jury of the lesser charge.
