The High Court on Thursday found self-exiled former lawmaker Ted Hui guilty of four counts of contempt of court.

Hui left Hong Kong for Denmark in 2020 while he was on bail facing multiple protest-related charges, saying he would be visiting lawmakers there. He later announced that he was going into exile and would not return.

Handing down his sentence in Hui’s absence, Justice Andrew Chan said the former Democratic Party legislator had misled the police into believing that he would return to Hong Kong to stand trial and that he had breached a bail condition by failing to turn up for court hearings.

Chan said Hui had worked with Danish politicians in fabricating an itinerary and an invitation letter for his trip.

The judge added that by missing court hearings deliberately, Hui had caused delays and disruption to court proceedings, perverted the course of justice, and undermined the public’s confidence in the SAR’s legal system.

Prosecutors have asked for a custodial sentence for Hui, who is still overseas. The hearing was adjourned for sentencing at a later date.