CPS West Midlands: Successful Hate Crime Cases December 2023
In December 2023, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ and Crown Court units successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.
On 19 December 2023, a 61-year-old Worcester woman who racially abused a public house staff member pleaded guilty to a public order offence. On 21 July 2023, the defendant racially abused a door staff at a public house in Worcester when she was refused entry. She was charged with a public order offence and appeared at Worcester Magistrates’ Court where she pleaded guilty and received a 12-month community order which had been increased to reflect the hate crime. She was also fined £120 and ordered to pay the victim surcharge of £114 and £50 costs.
The 36-year-old defendant from Coventry was sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on 19 December 2023 after he admitted that he racially abused a police officer. On 2 April 2023, he was arrested in Coventry city centre to prevent a breach of the peace. He racially abused one of the officers and was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence as well as causing damage to a police van. He received an eight-week sentence which was suspended for 12 months and had been increased to reflect the hate crime. He was also given a 28-day curfew and ordered to pay compensation to the officer and for the cleaning of the police van.
A 56-year-old man from Slough who gave Nazi salutes and shouted Nazi slogans at Slough railway station pleaded guilty to racially / religiously aggravated harassment / alarm / distress by words / writing when he appeared at Slough Magistrates’ Court on 7 December 2023.He was fined £240 which was increased to reflect the hate crime.
On 19 December 2023, a 42-year-old Solihull man, who hurled anti-Muslim hate slurs towards a police officer after his arrest, received a community order when he pleaded guilty to a religiously aggravated public order offence at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. He was told that the community order had been increased in length to reflect the hate crime and was also ordered to pay compensation to the police officer.
A 59-year-old Tamworth man who subjected a police officer to homophobic abuse, received a suspended sentence when he appeared in court on 7 December 2023. The defendant was arrested on 22 March 2023 following reports that he was shouting at the Kingfisher Shopping Centre in Redditch, dropped his trousers and then smashed a window at the probation office. When police arrived, he was arrested and taken to hospital for cuts to his hand. He then repeatedly directed homophobic abuse at one of the police officers. He was charged with two public order offences and criminal damage and was sentenced at Worcester Magistrates’ Court to an eight-week suspended sentence for using threatening / abusive / insulting words / behaviour to cause harassment / alarm / distress which had been increased to reflect the hate crime. He was also ordered to pay compensation to the officer and for the damage to the window. He received no further penalty for the other offences.
A man has been given a suspended prison sentence having been convicted of racially aggravated fear/provocation of violence and possession of a bladed article. On 18 September 2021, the victim was sat outside a public house enjoying a drink with friends when he was approached by the defendant who was verbally abusive towards him and hurled racial insults at him. The defendant attempted to start a fight before producing and brandishing a machete from his vehicle. He initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty. He was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court to 10 months imprisonment suspended for a period of two years for the racially aggravated offence. The judge commented that the sentence would have been three months but for the racial aggravation. The defendant was sentenced to a further 20 months imprisonment suspended for two years to run concurrently meaning the defendant received a total of 20 months imprisonment.
A man has been detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act 1983 following conviction for racially aggravated harassment. On 22 November 2022, the defendant was refused travel at Leeds Railway Station due to disorderly behaviour. He was escorted from the station and continued to be abusive resulting in his arrest for disorderly behaviour including racially abusing the police officer who arrested him. He was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 15 December 2023.