HONG KONG: A Hong Kong man was jailed for nearly 15 years on Tuesday after biting off the ear of a democracy activist and attacking three others at the height of the city's protests in 2019. The prison term for Joe Chen, who shouted Chinese nationalist slogans before his attack, is the longest of those charged in relation to the city's social turmoil three years ago. High Court Judge Judianna Barnes said on Tuesday Chen's biting off part of the ear of democracy activist Andrew Chiu was 'very barbaric' and defied belief. The sentence comes four months after a jury found Chen guilty of three counts of wounding with intent — an offense punishable by up to life imprisonment — and one count of common assault. The court earlier heard that Chen, 52, shouted 'Reclaim Taiwan' outside a shopping mall in Taikoo Shing, a middle-class neighborhood, in November 2019. Communist China views self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary.
