HONG KONG (Reuters) - An old man walked free after being convicted of beating to death a room-mate who chided him for scratching his buttocks, a newspaper said on Friday. Judge Frank Stock on Thursday sentenced 76-year-old Cheung Tat--kwong to the eight months prison he had already served and set him free, saying, "I am satisfied you have suffered enough". The court heard Cheung and 75-year-old Wong Fai fell into a fatal quarrel last June when Wong yelled at Cheung to stop scratching his bottom, The South China Morning Post reported. The squabble turned violent and Cheung struck Wong on the head with a pole, killing him. The two men had shared a tiny room for eight years. Cheung admitted manslaughter. Stock said that for elderly people sharing a tiny room "matters which might seem unimportant to younger people who have busy lives...fester and grow...even for those who have underlying affection for each other". He said he did not want to see Cheung spend another minute behind bars.