Shatin Magistrates’ Courts today sentenced a 53-year-old man to 120 hours of community service for assaulting a tobacco control inspector and obstructing a public officer in exercising his duty.

The assault took place when a tobacco control team was inspecting Sha Tin Centre on January 5. Police arrested and charged the man.

As of today, three inspector assault cases have been filed in 2014. Since 2007, 58 cases have been recorded. Thirteen of the 47 offenders convicted for the offence were sentenced to prison. The maximum penalty was four months in prison.