A hawker blitz in Shau Kei Wan last March had its sequel in court on Monday.
A 53-year-old woman, charged with three counts of offences relating to illegal hawking and assaulting a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) officer, was fined $2000 and sentenced to three weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, for common assault at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts.
The court heard that a Hawker Control Officer of the FEHD was attacked by the defendant during a blitz operation against unlicensed hawkers at Kam Wa St on March 2.
In addition to common assault, the defendant was charged with hawking without a licence and obstruction of a public place, which were convicted by the court earlier and were fined $400 and $1200 respectively.
An FEHD spokesman reminded hawkers to co-operate with law enforcement officers. According to section 139 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, any person who wilfully obstructs, resists or uses abusive language to any law enforcement officer in the execution of his duties is liable to a maximum fine of $25,000 and six months’ imprisonment.
“To use force against public officers is not right and offenders will have a criminal record when convicted,” he added.
“Furthermore, the FEHD will claim from offenders losses arising from the absence of duty of injured public officers through civil litigation.”