Southsea teenager spared jail for spitting at police and hurling racist abuse

Lee Knight, 18, ‘became increasingly aggressive’ before spitting and hurling racist abuse at officers on September 22 last year when he was detained and put in a police van.

On Monday at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court he was handed an eight-week jail term suspended for a year with 25 days’ rehabilitation and £188 compensation.

Knight, of Grosevnor Street, Southsea, admitted assault by beating and common assault of two emergency workers, and a racist public order offence in September last year, and theft on March 4, and assault by beating in January and June.

Kate Anderson, CPS Wessex deputy chief crown prosecutor, said: ‘CPS Wessex is committed to prosecuting hate crimes and seeking a sentence uplift from the court, meaning that the offender will receive an increased punishment.

‘As this is Hate Crime Awareness Week, we want there to be no doubt that CPS Wessex will seek to secure increased punishments from the court for perpetrators of hate crime.’

Magistrates increased the sentence from a community order due to the racism.

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