CPS West Midlands: Successful Hate Crime Cases - April 2024
In April 2024, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ units successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.
On 19 October 2023, the 49-year-old Birmingham man, who was drunk, approached two people who were sitting in a car and repeatedly directed anti-Muslim hate towards them and then threatened to assault one of them. He then drove off in a car before being arrested. He was charged with racist and religiously aggravated assaults and drink driving and was sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 2 April 2024. He received a community order which had been increased to reflect the hate crime and was disqualified from driving for two years. He was also ordered to pay compensation to the victim.
On 12 August 2023, the 28-year-old defendant of no fixed abode repeatedly threatened a customer service assistant and then abused his race and his religion. The defendant was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence which he admitted and was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on 16 April 2024, which had been increased to reflect the hate crime.
On 6 April 2024, the 54-year-old Wolverhampton man stole washing detergent from a store in Willenhall and when he was detained, he repeatedly racially abused one of the members of staff. He was charged with a public order offence and shop theft which he admitted at the first hearing at Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court on 8 April 2024. He received a 16-week sentence of imprisonment, suspended for 18 months which had been increased to reflect the hate crime. He was also made subject of a restraining order to keep him away from the store for two years.
On 24 June 2023, the 45-year-old defendant from Shawbury directed homophobic abuse at a a member of staff at Winchester who stepped in to stop her from intimidating another passenger station. She also used other threatening and abusive language towards him and went on to push two other people at the station. The defendant was charged with a public order offence and two assaults. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced at Telford Magistrates’ Court on 2 April 2024. She received a community order which had been increased to reflect the hate crime. She was also ordered to pay compensation to the victims.
On 5 April 2024, the 32-year-old defendant from Walsall was behaving suspiciously in a supermarket in Perton when one of the security guards approached him and the defendant threatened him and racially abused him. He was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence which he pleaded guilty to and was sentenced on 6 April 2024 at Newcastle Under Lyme Magistrates’ Court. He received a two-week sentence of imprisonment which had been increased from a community order to reflect the hate crime. He was also ordered to pay compensation.