American sentenced to two weeks in jail for indecent assault on HKUST student

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American sentenced to two weeks in jail for indecent assault on HKUST student

Magistrate brands financial analyst evasive and says he lacks remorse

PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 28 April, 2015, 3:51pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 29 April, 2015, 12:21am

Chris Lau [email protected]

Ronald Hevey arrives at court clad in a fake beard and sunglasses. Photo: Nora Tam

An American financial analyst who told a court that Hong Kong was more conservative than the United States was convicted of indecent assault and sentenced to two weeks in jail yesterday.

Magistrate Anthony Yuen Wai-ming said Ronald Hevey, 43, had shown no remorse for inappropriately touching a female Hong Kong University of Science and Technology student.

"You are highly educated and come from a highly civilised society," Yuen said, before passing the sentence at Kwun Tong Court. "Yet you showed no respect [to the victim]."

Hevey, who arrived in court sporting a fake beard, sunglasses and cowboy hat, had denied one count of indecent assault on the student, whom the court referred to as X to protect her identity.

The court heard yesterday that Hevey, a graduate of Yale University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, had conducted a series of indecent acts, including kissing the victim's ear, putting his hand on her underwear and squeezing her buttock.

Hevey visited HKUST last March. While on campus he asked X for directions to the university's Institute for Advanced Study before assaulting her.

He gave the victim a long hug as they reached their destination. After he let go, the two went to a metal railing where Hevey kissed the victim's ear and squeezed her buttock, while putting his arms around her so that they were close to her breasts.

He told the court earlier that he thought the victim was enjoying his attentions. He claimed X even told him he was passionate.

But the magistrate said yesterday it was clear that X felt uncomfortable after the hug. "I fail to see how [X] would utter the words 'You are passionate', and it is equally unthinkable that [X] would enjoy it at all," Yuen said.

He found that while the victim had been an honest and truthful witness, Hevey was evasive and self-contradictory.

Since Hevey performed several inappropriate acts, Yuen rejected the claim in mitigation from lawyer Ian Polson that his client's actions were at the lower end of the scale of inappropriate behaviour.

The magistrate also did not accept Hevey's previous apology in the witness box.

Had Hevey been truly remorseful, Yuen said, he would have pleaded guilty, rather than make the witness face embarrassment in court.

Instead, Hevey had put the blame on the victim for sending out misleading signals.