Crown Prosecution Service Pan-London and Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel Joint Statement as 50 charged for disorder-linked offences

Standing united against hate crime and public disorder in London

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Pan-London Hate Crime scrutiny panel held an extraordinary meeting last week in a united stand against hate crime and public disorder in the capital.

The panel brings together criminal justice agencies and community representatives from across London to discuss recently prosecuted hate crime cases, identifying best practice and sharing lessons learnt. 

CPS London hosted an exceptional meeting on Friday 9 August 2024 to meet with panel members following the outbreaks of violence and disorder across the country, including hate crime related offences, in the wake of the recent Southport tragedy.

Panel members discussed the impact of disorder and hate crime in our communities, how the Crown Prosecution Service has played a vital role in delivering swift justice, and what more we can do together to provide support and reassurance to our communities.

Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor and Chair of the Pan-London Hate Crime Panel, said: “The CPS and our independent panel members, representing a wide and diverse cross-section of London, will continue to stand together against any criminal conduct which seeks to divide us through violence and fear.

“It does not matter who you are, what you believe in, whether you are on our streets or online – we will make sure that anyone involved in disorder and hate crime is prosecuted, using a range of offences and court orders with serious consequences.”

With more than 50 suspects charged in London with public order and hate crime related offences so far, we continue to have an extra provision of CPS prosecutors available into the evenings and at weekends to provide legal advice to the police in real-time so that perpetrators are dealt with quickly. 

Our prosecutors are also at court every day making sure that perpetrators are brought to justice quickly, and have already secured convictions in many cases including the following:

• Michael Mongan, 39, of Ealing, unleashed a tirade of religiously aggravated abuse and spat at a bus driver after being denied entry when his payment card was declined. He was already on bail for a racially aggravated criminal damage offence committed at a bookmaker in Church Road, where he damaged the front of the building and racially abused members of staff. Mongan pleaded guilty to both offences and was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment.
• Ozzie Cush, 20, of no fixed abode, swore at a police officer before kicking him amid disorder in Westminster on 31 July. He pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and was sentenced to 46 weeks’ custody in a Young Offender Institution.
• David Spring, 61, of Sutton, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment at Inner London Crown Court on August 13, 2024. Spring was part of a 700-strong group who wreaked havoc in Whitehall on July 31. Members of the group ignored a police cordon and moved on to assault and spit at officers who were in attendance.

In all hate crime related cases, CPS prosecutors are applying to the court for sentence uplifts to make sure that perpetrators receive increased penalties where we can prove conduct demonstrated, or was motivated by, hostility based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

Panel membership and representation includes:

• Community Security Trust
• Tell MAMA
• 100 Black Men of London
• Hackney Caribbean Elderly Organisation
• Hindu Council UK
• Multicultural Richmond
• Age UK Barnet
• Tower Hamlets Hate Crime Team
• Inclusion London
• Somali Welfare Trust
• East European Resource Centre
• Shomrim
• Campaign Against Racism Group
• Ramgarhia Sikh Association