The BBC reports on a 'hate crime' where two white men attacked and murdered a black policeman. They tag the article with 'Only reason for hostility was colour', and quote the prosecutor as saying "It was in effect an unjustified racist attack, and very much real." When is it ever justified?

What is it that makes people think that one criminal's motivation is better than the other? Why is a crime considered more justified if the motivation was money, or something else? Crime is crime, and criminals should be punished for the actions they take, not the thoughts in their head. Whether or not someone is murdered for the $5 in their pocket, or the $100,000 in their briefcase, the result is the same. Whether a murder victim is targeted or random, they suffer the same fate. While motive is important to demonstrate to a jury, for reasons of due process, it does not necessarily mean that a crime is more or less justified.