CPS West Midlands: Successful Hate Crime Cases - June 2024
In June 2024, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ units successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.
On 4 May 2024, the 51-year-old defendant from Wednesbury went to his neighbour’s flat, assaulted him, racially abused him and damaged his front door. He pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault and criminal damage at his first hearing and was sentenced on 10 June 2024 d at Dudley Magistrates’ Court to an 18 month community order which had been increased to reflect the hate crime. He was also ordered to pay £300 compensation to the victim, the victim surcharge and prosecution costs.
On 7 July 2023, the 43-year-old defendant from Walsall racially abused a child who was playing in a school playground. He was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence and pleaded not guilty but changed his plea to guilty before the trial date. On 12 June 2024, he received a 12-month community order at Walsall Magistrates’ Court which had been increased to reflect the hate crime.
The 32-year-old defendant from Brierley Hill was in Birmingham City Centre on 8 September 2023 when he hit a man with his walking stick, cutting his head open. The defendant racially abused a bystander who intervened. and racially abused a bus driver. He also used his walking stick to hit the bus driver’s door. He pleaded guilty to wounding and two racially aggravated public order offences and received a 9-month sentence of imprisonment which was suspended for two years. He was informed that the sentence had been increased to reflect the hate crime and was ordered to pay compensation to the victims.
The 54-year-old defendant from Walsall racially abused his neighbour on 17 July 2023. He was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence and pleaded guilty at the first court hearing on 21 May 2024. On 25 June 2024, he was sentenced at Dudley Magistrates’ Court to a community order which was uplifted to reflect the hate crime. He was also ordered to pay compensation to the victim.
On 14 January 2023, the 27-year-old defendant from Birmingham racially abused a protester at Birmingham City Centre. The defendant was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced at Birmingham Magistrate’ Court on 19 June 2024 to eight weeks imprisonment which had been increased to reflect the hate crime. He was also ordered to pay compensation to the victim.
On 16 May 2024, the 39-year-old defendant from Birmingham assaulted a supermarket staff member in Birmingham City Centre and damaged his bodycam. When the police arrived, he repeatedly directed anti-Muslim abuse at one of the officers. He was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence, assault, and criminal damage which he admitted at the first hearing. He was sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 26 June 2024 to a community order which had been increased to reflect the hate crime.
On 10 November 2023, a London youth stole a passenger’s headphones, assaulted another passenger, and directed homophobic abuse at him. He admitted theft, assault and a public order offence and was sentenced on 10 June 2024. He received a referral order which had been uplifted to reflect the hate crime. He was also ordered to pay compensation to the victims.
On 2 September 2023, the 29-year-old defendant from Stoke-on-Trent was at a football match between Stoke City and Preston when he shouted homophobic comments towards the Preston fans. He was charged with a public order offence which he initially denied but later changed his plea to guilty on 6 June 2024 and was sentenced. He recieved a fine of £ 120 which had been increased to reflect the hate crime. He was also given a three-year football banning order.