HATE crimes reported by police to Northern Ireland prosecutors have fallen by more than 40 per cent in the past two years.
New figures released by the Public Prosectutions Service reveal a "notable decrease" in the number of hate crime cases it received in the last year - the second year in a row of decline.
A total of 335 files were received in 2017/18, compared to 386 the previous year and 573 in 2015/16.
Ten of the 13 defendants dealt with in the crown court were convicted, while the conviction rate in the magistrates' and youth courts was 67.4 per cent.
Meanwhile, of 279 cases the service considered in which hate crime was `aggravated by hostility', the majority related to race (111) or religion (106).
Thirty-nine decisions related to offences aggravated on the basis of sexual orientation and five to disability.
All six defendants dealt with in the crown court were convicted of at least one offence.
