A MAN who beat up a volunteer because he was unhappy with his residential community’s rule banning outsiders’ cars was sentenced to one and a half years in jail for provoking trouble, the Minhang District People’s Court said.

It was the city’s first case in which an epidemic prevention and control volunteer was assaulted, the court said yesterday. To prevent a gathering of people, amid the novel coronavirus epidemic, the trial was conducted online with prosecutors, judges, defendant and his lawyer staying at their own workplaces.

According to the Minhang District People’s Procuratorate, on January 31, the victim Xu was serving as a volunteer at the community’s entrance. At about 3:30pm, a driver Mao tried to enter to visit his relative Ling, a resident.

However, under community’s virus prevention rules, only residents’ cars are allowed in. Xu explained this to Mao, who rang up Ling. Ling later arrived with his wife, and began arguing with Xu.

He then became physical with Xu, causing a fracture to Xu’s lumbar vertebra and several soft tissue injuries.

Due to the injury, Xu couldn’t be present at the online trial. He entrusted his legal representative to participate in the hearing. The representative said Ling never apologized nor expressed any regret over the incident. Xu, 24, will be laid up for at least three months with serious physical and mental damage.

Ling confessed, expressing his regret and intention to apologize and compensate Xu.