CPS West Midlands: Successful Hate Crime Cases – August 2025
In August 2025, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ and Crown Court units successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.
A 21-year-old man from Sandwell has been sentenced to a 12-month community order, including 150 hours of unpaid work, for racially abusive phone calls to a neighbour. The sentence, handed down at Dudley Magistrates’ Court on 21 August 2025, was uplifted from 100 to 150 hours to reflect the hate crime element. The offence took place on 29 January 2024, when the defendant repeatedly made racially abusive calls in breach of the Communications Act. He pleaded guilty at the hearing.
A 35-year-old man from Cambridge has been given a 12-month conditional discharge for racially and homophobically abusive behaviour towards railway staff. He was sentenced on 22 August 2025 at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 22 August 2025 to a 12-month conditional discharge which was uplifted from 10 months to reflect the hate crime element. He was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to each of the two victims. The incident occurred on 15 July 2025, when the defendant became racially abusive and directed homophobic abuse towards staff while on the platform at Peterborough train station. He was charged with racially and homophobically aggravated public order offences and pleaded guilty to both.
A 34-year-old man from Bootle has been sentenced for a racially aggravated public order offence under the Public Order Act. On 4 February 2025, at Bootle train station, the defendant became racially abusive towards a ticket officer after being asked to show his ticket while boarding a train. He was charged with a racially aggravated offence and pleaded guilty at the first hearing. On 26 August 2025, at Sefton Magistrates’ Court, he was fined £150, uplifted from £100 to reflect the hate crime element. He was also ordered to pay £100 in compensation to the victim.
A 32-year-old man from Coventry has been sentenced to a total of 12 weeks' imprisonment for four hate-related offences, after using racially and homophobically abusive language towards police officers. He was sentenced at Coventry Magistrates’ Court on 28 August 2025, and his sentence was uplifted from two weeks to three weeks per offence to reflect the hate crime element. The incident occurred on 20 March 2025, when the defendant was approached by police in Coventry city centre in relation to an unrelated matter. Upon arrest, he became threatening and used racially and homophobically aggravated slurs. He was charged with two racially aggravated and two homophobically aggravated public order offences, and pleaded guilty to all.
A 23-year-old man from Lichfield has been sentenced for a racially aggravated offence of wounding with intent contrary to the Offences Against the Person Act. On 1 December 2021, at Hilsea Station, the defendant made threats towards a member of the public on a separate platform. He pursued the victim, became racially abusive, spat at him, and struck him in the eye with a glass bottle, causing injuries that required 14 stitches. He was charged with Section 18 wounding and pleaded guilty. On 8 August 2025, at Portsmouth Crown Court, he was sentenced to four years and four months’ imprisonment, reflecting the seriousness of the offence and the racial aggravation.
A 25-year-old woman from Solihull has been sentenced for a series of violent offences, including a racially aggravated assault under the Public Order Act. On 24 September 2024, while at a friend’s house, the defendant made threats towards the occupant of the address. Upon police attendance, she assaulted four officers by kicking and spitting at them, while also directing racially abusive language towards them. She was subsequently charged with racially aggravated assault, assaulting an emergency worker, and a racially aggravated public order offence. She pleaded guilty to all charges. On 4 August 2025, she was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, uplifted to reflect the racial aggravation element of the offences.