MP abuser given uplifted hate crime sentence

A Leicester man has been given an uplifted sentence for racially abusing an MP and police officers trying to address his behaviour.

Hasmukh Popatlal Doshi contacted his local MP, Claudia Webbe and during a telephone conversation became abusive using racist insults and inferences. While the police were investigating Doshi’s behaviour, he sent emails to the investigating officer containing further racist insults, before using racial and religious slurs to officers conveying him to custody and interviewing him.

His behaviour was identified as a hate crime and he was charged with racially aggravated harassment and sending electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety. He was convicted at Leicester Crown Court and was today sentenced to 28 months' imprisonment. As the offending was recognised as a hate crime, this sentence includes an uplift to recognise that.

Andrew Baxter, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor at CPS East Midlands said: “Hate crimes are particularly nasty offences as they are attacks on people’s identity. Hasmukh Doshi used insults and slurs targeted at several different ethnic and faith backgrounds of the people forced to deal with him and caused considerable distress to his victims. To their credit, they remained calm and professional throughout and we are grateful for their clear and thoughtful evidence, which has been of great assistance in making sure Doshi faces the consequences of his criminal actions.

“I would encourage anyone who feels they have been targeted because of hostility to their protected characteristics to come forward and report these offences. As we have seen today, these are taken very seriously by the CPS and the criminal justice community.”