CPS West Midlands: Successful Hate Crime Cases – June 2025
In June 2025, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ and Crown court units successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.
On 23 October 2025, a 35-year-old defendant from Richmond Upon Thames was present at Gillingham Railway Station, where he was racially abusive towards a member of railway staff on multiple occasions. He was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence and appeared before Highbury Magistrates’ Court on 13 June 2025,where he pleaded guilty. He received an immediate custodial sentence of 14 days which was uplifted from a community order to reflect the hate crime element.
On 6 September 2024, a 35-year-old defendant from Tamworth was receiving treatment at a local hospital when she became aggressive and racially abusive towards the nurse treating her. She was subsequently charged with a racially aggravated public order offence. At Cannock Magistrates’ Court on 19 June 2025, the defendant received a six-week custodial sentence, which was increased from four weeks to reflect the hate crime element. This sentence was suspended for 18 months. She was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to the complainant.
On 16 December 2024, a 59-year-old defendant from Birmingham was in Birmingham City Centre when he became racially abusive towards a member of security staff and then proceeded to assault him. He was charged with racially aggravated assault by beating and pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 17 June 2025. He received a 12-week custodial sentence, which was increased from eight weeks to reflect the hate crime element. This sentence was suspended for 12 months.
On 28 May 2024, a 37-year-old defendant from Wolverhampton attended a local public house where he was repeatedly directing homophobic abuse towards customers and staff. He was charged with a homophobically aggravated public order offence. He pleaded not guilty and the matter was set for trial. The defendant was convicted after trial and sentenced to a £120 fine which was increased from £80 to reflect the hate crime element. He was also made subject to a 12-month restraining order, prohibiting him from attending the public house.
On 22 March 2023 a 36-year-old defendant from Essex was at Shoeburyness Railway Station where he attempted to pass through the emergency gate without a valid ticket. When challenged, he became verbally abusive towards several members of staff before assaulting one of them by wrapping his coat around the victim’s neck, strangling him, punching him and placing him in a headlock. He then directed racial abuse at a member of cleaning staff. Upon arrest, he assaulted two police officers and caused damage to a police van. He appeared before Basildon Crown Court on 10 June 2025 where he pleaded guilty to racially aggravated intentional harassment, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, criminal damage and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker. He was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.
On 4 August 2024, protests took place outside the Holiday Inn in Tamworth. Both protestors and counter-protestors were in attendance. Over time, the mood shifted significantly from peaceful to disorderly, with approximately 300 participants involved. A 44-year-old defendant from Tamworth, who was present at the disorder, was seen chanting alongside the protestors, encouraging the disorder and engaging in racially abusive behaviour. On 21 January 2025, he pleaded guilty at Stafford Crown Court to violent disorder. The judge deemed the offence to be racially aggravated, and an intrinsic part of the incident. He was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment.