CPS West Midlands: Successful Hate Crime Cases November 2023
In November 2023, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ Court unit successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.
On 20 August 2023, the 41-year-old defendant from Ellesmere Port, racially abused Aston Villa supporters during the football fixture between Aston Villa and Everton FC. He was removed by stewards and arrested. He was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence. When he failed to attend court for the first hearing, he was arrested and appeared in custody on 21 November 2023 at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty and was fined £300. He was told that the fine had been increased by £100 to reflect the hate crime although as he had spent time in custody, he was not actually ordered to pay it. He was ordered to pay costs of £135 and the victim surcharge of £120 and a three-year football banning order was imposed.
On 25 February 2023, the 56-year-old defendant from Middlesbrough attended the Hawthorns where West Bromwich Albion were playing Middlesbrough and racially abused a member of staff in the bar and then made further racially hostile comments. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced at Newcastle Upon Tyne Magistrates’ Court on 6 November 2023 and received a 12-month community order which included 12 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was ordered to pay £75 compensation to each of the victims, £85 costs and the £114 victim surcharge. A three-year football banning order was also imposed.
On 23 May 2023,the 55-year-old defendant from Birmingham was arrested for another matter. He kicked one officer to the stomach and racially abused another officer and was charged with assaulting an emergency worker and a racially aggravated public order offence. He pleaded guilty at the first hearing and was sentenced on 13 November 2023 at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. The court imposed an eight-week suspended sentence which had been increased to custody to reflect the hate crime. He was ordered to perform 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days, given a tagged curfew for 6 weeks from 7pm to 7am, was ordered to pay £75 to the officer he assaulted and £50 to the officer he racially abused.
On 5 July 2023, the 39-year-old defendant from Liverpool was abusive to a rail security officer, pushed him and then racially abused him. He was arrested and made racist remarks towards officers. He was charged with assault and two racially aggravated public order offences, due to his behaviour towards the rail security officer and the police officers. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced at the first hearing at Birkenhead Magistrates’ Court on 13 November 2023. He received a 12-week curfew from 7pm to 7am which was increased from eight weeks to reflect the hate crime. He was also ordered to pay £150 compensation to the victim.
On 11 December 2022, the 47-year-old defendant from Rugby used disability hate speech towards a neighbour and was charged with a public order offence. He pleaded not guilty but changed his plea on the trial date of 2 November 2023 at Coventry Magistrates’ Court. He was fined £150 which had been increased by £50 as the offence was a hate crime. He was also ordered to pay the £114 victim surcharge and £135 costs.
On 31 May 2023. the 32-year-old defendant from Stockport was refused entry to an Elton John concert at Manchester Arena. She was verbally aggressive and pushed security staff. When a police officer went to assist, the defendant punched him in the face. She was arrested and directed homophobic abuse towards the officer when she was at the police station. She was charged with assaulting an emergency worker and with a public order offence which she admitted at the first hearing and was sentenced on 16 November 2023 at Manchester City Magistrates’ Court. The court imposed a 12-month community order which included 200 hours of unpaid work and she was also ordered to pay £100 compensation, the victim surcharge of £114 and costs of £85. She was informed that the level of the community order had been increased to reflect the hate crime and that the hours of unpaid work had been increased by 120.