Tong Ying-kit, a former waiter, was sentenced to six and a half years in jail for the incitement to secession charge, and eight more years for allegedly committing acts of terror, reported Al Jazeera.

Tong will serve nine years in jail because of totality principle of the court - two and half years of his “terrorism” and six and a half years in jail for the incitement to secession charge consequtively, said the report, adding that he would serve the other parts of the sentence concurrently.

Further, the ruling also stopped him from applying for a driving license for next 10 years.

The court did not consider his good behaviour or his situation as the sole breadwinner of his family.

The sentence “confirms fears that the national security law is not merely a tool to instill terror into government critics in HongKong; it is a weapon that will be used to incarcerate them,” Amnesty International said in a statement.

A large number of people gathered at an enclosed footbridge near the gate, where a police van carrying Tong was to emerge, to show their support, Al Jazeera reported.

Tong’s lawyer, Clive Grossman, was quoted as saying that his client will "appeal" the sentence, the report said.

The court declared him guilty of "terrorism" on Tuesday for driving a motorbike into three police officers, and secession for flying a protest flag during a rally on July 1 last year, stated the Al Jazeera report.