Hearing focuses on compensation
Wong did not attend the hearing. According to on.cc, the court held him liable in December 2023 after he failed to file a defense in civil case DCPI 1378/2023. The October 2026 proceedings concern how much he must pay, rather than whether he is responsible.
The court heard that Lui's claim for HK$220,000 covered suffering, lost income, and permanent loss of earning capacity and promotion opportunities.
Am730 reported a different breakdown: HK$220,000 for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, about HK$90,000 for medical expenses, and additional claims for aggravated and punitive damages. It put the total at no less than HK$310,000, saying the original claim of about HK$1 million had covered pretrial income losses and lost promotion opportunities.
Recovery and a move away from operational work
Lui testified that the attack injured his shoulder and left elbow, caused multiple muscle tears and required surgery. The Witness reported that he completed 15 physiotherapy sessions in September 2020, but movement in his left shoulder remained restricted. He said he did not fully recover until 2022.
The severity of the injury had also been addressed during Wong's 2022 sentencing. District Judge Frankie Yiu said the knife caused a wound about seven centimeters long and passed within four millimeters of an artery; an injury to the artery would have been life-threatening. He described the offense as "extremely serious."
At the time of the attack, Lui served in the Police Tactical Unit and was scheduled to join the Emergency Unit that December. He now works in the police's public relations team. Speaking in Cantonese, he told the court he preferred operational duties and felt let down by having to do back-office clerical work.
Yiu had noted at sentencing that Lui took three months of sick leave and was moved to an administrative team because of his injury, which the judge said demonstrated the effect on his career. Lui also told Monday's hearing that returning to Causeway Road, near the scene of the stabbing, triggers flashbacks.
The attack and attempted escape
The stabbing took place in Causeway Bay on July 1, 2020, during protests against Beijing's passage of a national security law for Hong Kong. The demonstrations followed the anti-extradition protests and unrest that began in 2019.
A court document said Lui and fellow officers were sent to an unlawful assembly late that afternoon. Protesters had taken over main roads and disregarded orders to disperse. As Lui made arrests, people surrounded him and tried to intervene.
In his testimony, Lui described being put in a chokehold while a woman struck him with an umbrella. He said in Cantonese that, with people around him, he suddenly felt a sharp, piercing pain in his left shoulder before his arm went limp.
The national security law took effect that day. Police figures cited by Hong Kong Free Press put the number of arrests at more than 370, and tear gas was fired during the clashes.
After fleeing, Wong discarded the knife in the sea at Kwun Tong Ferry Pier and bought a London ticket with help from his girlfriend, according to The Standard. Police received an anonymous tip and arrested him aboard a UK-bound Cathay Pacific aircraft before departure, the South China Morning Post and The Standard reported.
Wong pleaded guilty in 2022 to rioting and wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He received a five-year prison sentence. Two other protesters were convicted in the same case: Percy Chau Pui-lam, 21, was sentenced to 33 months, while Law Kok-sum, 20, was awaiting sentencing when the South China Morning Post reported on the case.
Wong's girlfriend, Cheung Tsz-ching, received a one-year sentence for perverting the course of justice after helping him buy the ticket hours after the stabbing. The Court of Appeal refused her permission to appeal her conviction in September 2023.
Judge questions changes to the claim
Before Lui gave evidence, Judge Phyllis Loh asked why his lawyers were introducing further grounds for compensation three years after the case began. She also challenged the reduction from almost HK$1 million to roughly HK$220,000, suggesting the initial amount had been exaggerated.
Loh is expected to issue her judgment within three months.
