Hate Crime Sentence Uplifts - July 2022

Under hate crime legislation the courts must pass increased sentences where prosecutors evidence that offences either demonstrate or have been motivated by hostility towards a person’s race, religion, disability, transgender identity or sexuality. Below are examples of hate crime cases recently prosecuted by CPS North East, each of which resulted in a conviction and an uplifted sentence. 

• The defendant was convicted of racially aggravated threatening behaviour towards a shop security guard. He was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment. The court announced that it had uplifted the sentence by increasing the length of sentence by two weeks to reflect the racial aggravation.  

• The defendant, a youth, was convicted of homophobic public order after he used homophobic hostility towards a neighbour. He was sentenced to a conditional discharge for twelve months. The court announced that the sentence had been uplifted by increasing the length of the discharge to reflect the homophobic nature of the offence. 

• The defendant was convicted of disability aggravated intentional harassment alarm distress after she was abusive to her disabled neighbours, using disablist language. She was sentenced to a fine of £300 and ordered to pay compensation in the sum of £200 to each victim. The court announced it had uplifted the sentence by increasing the fine to reflect the disablist aggravation.