'Spiderman' protester jailed for intimidating female friend

A British man known for sporting outlandish costumes to support democracy in Hong Kong has been sentenced to 42 weeks in jail for intimidating a woman he claimed was his girlfriend, officials and media reports said today.

Matt James Pearce, a 30-year-old English teacher and activist, was accused of threatening to damage the reputation of his friend Jennifer Anne Hollier by repeatedly staging protests outside the school where she worked, the Ming Pao Daily reported.