Middlesbrough man sentenced following racially aggravated assault

The 20-year-old punched the victim earlier this year

Author: Karen LiuPublished 27th Dec 2023

A man who carried out a racially aggravated assault in Middlesbrough will be spending the rest of the festive period in jail.

20-year-old Luke Smith, of Middlesbrough Road in South Bank, punched the victim in the face causing a cut to his lip in May this year.

He appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 21st December and was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment and was ordered to pay £389 in costs including £150 compensation to the victim.

Inspector Zoë Kelsey from Redcar and Cleveland’s Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) said: “Cleveland Police will not tolerate hate crimes under any circumstances. Our officers will thoroughly investigate all reports made to us and will ensure perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.

“Everyone has the right to live without the fear of abuse. If you have been a victim of hate crime, we would encourage you to report it to us on 101. Alternatively, information can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or by phone on 0800 555 111.”

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.