CPS West Midlands: Successful Hate Crime Cases - May 2024
In May 2024, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ Court unit successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.
A 39-year-old Margate man received a community order and a fine after he racially abused staff members at a Coventry supermarket when he was banned from the supermarket. On 21 October 2023, the defendant was given a letter banning him from the supermarket, after which he confronted members of security staff and made hateful comments about the religion of one member of staff and shouted racist abuse at another member of staff. The defendant was charged with a religiously aggravated public order offence and a racially aggravated public order offence. He pleaded guilty at the first hearing at Coventry Magistrates’ Court on 8 May 2024. He was given a community order by the magistrates which had been increased to reflect the hate crime. He was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to each victim.
On 11 May 2024, the 35-year-old defendant from Smethwick racially abused a police officer while in custody. He was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence which he admitted at the first hearing on 13 May 2024 and sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment. He was told that the sentence had been increased to reflect the hate crime and was also ordered to pay compensation to the officer.
On 1 August 2023, the 43-year-old Telford woman directed homophobic abuse at a pub licensee before grabbing the hand and clothing of another customer. She was drunk and carrying a baby at the time. When police officers arrived at the scene, she kicked one of them. She was charged with being drunk in charge of a child, assault, a public order offence and assaulting an emergency worker. She pleaded guilty at the first hearing and was sentenced at Telford Magistrates’ Court on 15 May 2024. She received a community order which had been increased to reflect the hate crime and the assault on the emergency worker. She was also ordered to pay compensation to each victim.
On 27 September 2023, the 50-year-old defendant from Plymouth who was drunk walked towards a moving coach while at Digbeth coach station and then tried to hit and spit at a member of staff who asked him to move away from the coach. After he was restrained, he repeatedly kicked the member of staff. He then used transgender and homophobic abuse towards a police officer while in custody.
He was convicted of assault and a public order offence and was sentenced to four weeks imprisonment on 10 May 2024 at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. He was informed that the sentence had been increased to custody to reflect the hate crime and was also ordered to pay compensation to the victims.