CPS West Midlands: Successful Hate Crime Cases October 2023
In October 2023, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates' and Crown Court units successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.
A 59-year-old man from Tenterden, Kent, who filmed a Muslim family on a train without their consent and then racially abused those who intervened, has been sentenced. On 18 June 2022, the defendant, who was travelling on the Elizabeth Line, filmed a Muslim family and took photographs of them without their consent. A woman who noticed what he was doing told the family, and the man then began to record her too before racially abusing her and her sister. He also racially abused and assaulted another man who intervened. He was charged with racially aggravated assault by beating and two charges of the offence of racially/religiously aggravated intentional harassment/alarm/distress through words/writing which he denied. He later pleaded guilty to the two racially aggravated public order offences on the first day of the trial and was then convicted of the racially aggravated assault after a trial. He was sentenced on 4 October 2023 at Highbury Magistrates’ Court where he received a one-year community order with 120 hours of unpaid work which had been increased by 40 hours to reflect the hate crime. He was also ordered to pay £200 to each of the sisters and prosecution costs of £420. The victim of the assault said that he did not want any compensation.
A 61-year-old man from London was sentenced after he repeatedly racially abused several members of the public and a staff member at West Hampstead station on 9 July this year. He also racially abused another rail employee who was on his way to work but stopped to intervene. The defendant pleaded guilty to two charges of racially/religiously aggravated intentional harassment/alarm/distress through words/writing at the first hearing at Highbury Magistrates’ Court on 4 September 2023. He was sentenced on 3 October 2023 at the same court and received eight weeks imprisonment for each offence which was suspended for 12 months and included six months' alcohol treatment and 15 days rehabilitation activity requirement. He was also ordered to pay £106 compensation to the two identified victims and was told the sentence was increased from a community order to a suspended prison sentence because of the hate crime.
A 54-year-old Sandwell woman who physically assaulted and racially abused a heavily pregnant woman in a car park, has been sentenced. On 7 August 2022, the defendant approached the victim who had just parked her car in a car park and told her to park elsewhere. She then physically and racially abused the victim and threatened her. The defendant was charged with racially aggravated assault by beating which she admitted at the first hearing. She was sentenced on 3 October 2023 at Dudley Magistrates’ Court to a 12-month community order to include 60 hours of unpaid work which had been increased by 20 hours to reflect the hate crime. She was also ordered to pay £200 compensation to the victim and prosecution costs of £185.
A 50-year-old Staffordshire man has been fined and given a football banning order after racially abusing Sheffield Wednesday FC players, On 1 October 2022, the defendant repeatedly shouted racist abuse at the match. He was charged with racially aggravated intentional harassment and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. He was convicted after a trial on the 24 October 2023 at Newcastle Under Lyme Magistrates’ Court and was fined £600 which had been increased by £200 to reflect the hate crime. He was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £750, the victim surcharge of £240 and was made subject of a three-year football banning order.
A 33-year-old man from Bootle has been sentenced after directing transphobic abuse at a Liverpool Central station staff and damaging police property. On 26 March 2023, the defendant hurled horrific transphobic abuse at the victim who was working at Liverpool Central station and also verbally abused those who intervened. When he was arrested, he damaged his leg restraints and caused damage to the police cell. He pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm, or distress and criminal damage and was sentenced at Liverpool/Knowsley Magistrates’ Court on 25 October 2023. He received a suspended sentence of 12 weeks' imprisonment which had been increased by four weeks to reflect the hate crime. He was ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid work and also received 10 days rehabilitation activity requirement. He was ordered to pay £150 compensation to each victim and £55 to Merseyside Police.
A 39-year-old woman from Herne Bay has been sentenced after she pleaded guilty to hate crime against police officers. On 5 November 2021, the woman, who was intoxicated, was told at Westminster Station that she could not travel as she was a danger to herself. She initially left the station but then returned and argued with police officers insisting that she would travel. She then pushed an officer to the chest and racially abused him. When she was arrested, she directed homophobic abuse and anti-Muslim hate at another officer and assaulted three other officers. She was charged with racially aggravated intentional harassment, religiously aggravated intentional harassment and six offences of assaulting an emergency worker. She initially failed to attend court but later appeared and pleaded guilty. She was sentenced at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on 29 September 2023 and received a conditional discharge for three years which had been increased by one year to reflect the hate crimes.
A 52-year-old Birmingham man has been sentenced for assaulting a woman and directing homophobic abuse at a man who stepped in to protect the woman. At his first hearing, he admitted using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress and assault by beating. He was sentenced on 29 September at Worcester Magistrates’ Court to a 12-month community order which included a six-month alcohol treatment requirement and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also ordered to pay a fine of £400 and was told that this was to reflect the homophobic nature of his crime.
A 26-year-old man of no fixed address has been imprisoned after he was convicted of racially aggravated harassment. On 4 April 2023, the defendant, who was travelling without a ticket, racially abused a railway enforcement officer who asked the defendant to leave the train as the defendant was travelling without a ticket. He pleaded not guilty but was convicted last month following a trial at Croydon Crown Court and was sentenced to a period of imprisonment for 14 months. The sentencing judge commented that the sentence was aggravated due to the racist comments made.
A 47-year-old Birmingham man has been given a suspended prison sentence having been convicted of a racially aggravated assault committed against a paramedic. The defendant was verbally and racially abusive towards the victim who had responded to an emergency call and attended the defendant’s address. He also assaulted her by punching her to the jaw before threatening to slash her throat. He initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty. He was sentenced to 28 weeks' imprisonment suspended for two years. The judge commented that the sentence would have been one of 20 weeks but for the racial aggravation.
A 51-year-old man from Birmingham has been given a suspended prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to criminal damage and harassment. The defendant directed homophobic abuse towards his neighbours who were in a same sex relationship. He also caused damage to their property and harassed them over a period of a month. He pleaded guilty to two offences of harassment and two charges of criminal damage. He was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on 11 October where he received a 24-month prison sentence suspended for a period of 24 months. He must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work. The sentencing judge commented that the sentence was increased due to the homophobic comments.