22nd November 2022 – (Hong Kong) 60-year-old British lawyer, Richard Mark Clement a partner of Massie & Clement Solicitors whose office is located in Neich Tower on Gloucester Road took a cross-harbour bus in Wan Chai last year. He was suspected of arguing with the driver over the fare before assaulting him. He denied charge involving assault causing grievous bodily harm and he was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts today (22nd). When sentencing, the magistrate pointed out that the bus driver was just waiting for the police to arrive but was attacked by the defendant. The behaviour of the defendant should not be tolerated. The defendant was finally sentenced to 8 weeks in prison, but the magistrate later approved the defendant to be released on a bail of HK$20,000 pending appeal.
After the driver put a HK$5 from the defendant’s hand into the cash box, the defendant became emotional. The driver then stopped the vehicle and evacuated other passengers, but prevented the defendant from getting out of the vehicle. Afterwards, the defendant assaulted the driver, including hitting him 2 to 3 times on the back, strangling his neck, and punching him in the face 9 to 10 times in total. Afterwards, the driver was sent to the hospital for examination. There was internal haemorrhage on the side of his right eye and cartilage rupture in his left eye.
According to company website, Richard Mark Clement was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in 1986 and to the High Court of Hong Kong in 1987. He was admitted as an Attorney-at-Law in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands in 1997. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is an appointee of the Chief Justice of Hong Kong as a Member of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and he has chaired disciplinary proceedings.
