‘I was in fear’ – Chinese state reporter accused of slapping student gives evidence in Birmingham

The 49-year-old said she has been left feeling humiliated

A political correspondent accused of slapping a Conservative Party conference delegate across the face has told a court she pushed her alleged victim away as ”natural instinct” as she feared she would be attacked.

Linlin Kong, a reporter with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, claims she used a hand to push away one of several men who surrounded her after she asked a question at a fringe conference event in Birmingham discussing democracy in Hong Kong.

She denies common assault.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, the 49-year-old said she had been left feeling humiliated and had not expected to be treated in such a way in the UK.

Ms Kong, of King’s Cross, London, is standing trial at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court over the alleged assault on Enoch Lieu during last year’s Tory conference at the city’s International Convention Centre.

Addressing the court with the assistance of an interpreter, Ms Kong said she was approached by Mr Lieu, a member of Newcastle-under-Lyme Conservatives, near the end of a question-and-answer session chaired by Tory MP Fiona Bruce.

Claiming she had no idea who Mr Lieu was, the reporter said he had asked her to leave after she claimed one of the panellists was lying by saying he was pro-China.

She said of Mr Lieu: “He repeated what the chairlady said – he wanted me to leave. There were people in front of me and behind me ... all of them men.

“I was shocked. I refused to leave and then he started to touch me. He used his hands to push me.

“Not only was the man pushing me, I was surrounded by four or five people. I was in fear.”

Asked by defence barrister Timothy Raggatt QC if she had done anything to the alleged victim, Ms Kong added: “I told him ‘Don’t touch me, don’t touch me’. He just kept pushing me and at that time I pushed him away.

“I was being attacked by a male in public, it was my natural instinct to do this.”

Ms Kong, who maintains she was acting to protect herself, said the moment when she pushed out had been captured on video by a bystander.

Under cross-examination from prosecutor Maria Karaiskos, she denied she had slapped Mr Lieu in the face before the video was filmed.

Ms Karaiskos asked the journalist: “When he approached you, you became annoyed with him didn’t you?”

Ms Kong responded: “I was scared at that time, I was nervous.

“When he used his hands to push me, I was shocked. I didn’t expect this to happen in public.”

The trial was adjourned until October 31.

PA contributed to this report