Gym coach jailed 9 months over MTR bomb threat
HK01 · 4 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
A 31-year-old defendant, Chung Chi-long (鍾智朗), was convicted at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts of threatening to destroy or damage property after posting three messages in a League of Legends chat saying he would bomb Admiralty MTR Station on the first day of Lunar New Year. Magistrate Chu Man-hon found the messages were specific, coherent and sent over about 43 seconds, showing time for thought rather than an impulsive outburst. The court said the threat concerned a busy interchange station and a public holiday, factors that could cause public panic and require major police deployment. Chung was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, and his application for bail pending appeal was refused
Key Points
- Chung Chi-long, 31, was charged over messages sent on January 27, 2026, threatening damage to Admiralty MTR Station on February 17, 2026.
- The three chat messages were: “I’m going to bomb the MTR on Lunar New Year’s Day”, “Admiralty Station”, and “Remember to watch the news”.
- A prosecution witness, Wong Sze-shing (黃斯成), said he had been randomly matched with Chung in League of Legends: Wild Rift and called police after their in-game dispute
- The defence said only four people were in the chatroom, no bomb or related items were found, and Chung had lost his Hospital Authority job.
- Magistrate Chu said immediate imprisonment was the only suitable sentence because the offence was serious and suspended sentence was not justified.
Why It Matters
Online threats tied to specific transport hubs and holiday dates can trigger real emergency responses in Hong Kong, even when no explosive device is found. The ruling shows the courts may treat game-chat bomb threats as deliberate criminal intimidation when the wording, timing and context suggest a credible threat rather than mere venting.