CPS News Centre

Criminal cases prosecuted by the CPS are in the news every day, along with a range of issues relating to our work – from violence against women and girls and hate crime, to support for victims and witnesses, statistics and speeches.

To ensure greater openness in the reporting of criminal proceedings, the CPS, the police and media representatives developed a joint protocol for working together. We are currently consulting on an updated joint protocol. For more details and to have your say, go here.

Here you can find our latest news stories and search for others. You can also find additional details about a number of high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.

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Media enquiries

National, international and specialist media should contact the main 24-hour press office.

Local media should contact their Area Communications Manager during normal working hours.

Father jailed for murdering his daughter in a ‘play fight’

A father who murdered his daughter in what he had claimed to be a ‘play fight’ at their home has been jailed for life with a minimum of 15 years at Teesside Crown Court today.

10 February 2025 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, North East News

Darlington man who murdered his partner’s infant son is jailed

A Darlington man who murdered his partner’s infant son has been jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years today at Teesside Crown Court.

07 February 2025 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, North East News

Darlington man who fatally stabbed his daughter during ‘play fight’ convicted of her murder

Simon Vickers, 50, claimed to have fatally stabbed his daughter during a ‘play-fight’ in their home and was convicted of her murder at Teesside Crown Court.

27 January 2025 | Press Release , Violent crime , North East News

Violent sexual predator who tried to murder schoolgirl jailed

A violent sexual predator who tried to murder a schoolgirl has been jailed for 38 years at Teesside Crown Court today.

08 January 2025 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North East News

Sexual predator sentenced for online sexual abuse of UK and US schoolgirls

A sexual predator who coerced children from across the UK and the US into sexual activity has been sentenced today at Durham Crown Court.

06 January 2025 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North East News

Woman who played video game while her son drowned unsupervised in bath sentenced

A Durham woman whose infant son drowned unsupervised in the bath while she played a video game on her mobile phone has been jailed today after pleading guilty to gross negligence manslaughter at Teesside Crown Court.

18 December 2024 | Press Release , North East News

Darlington man convicted of murdering partner’s infant son

A Darlington man who caused fatal injuries to his partner’s infant son has been convicted of his murder at Teesside Crown Court today.

10 December 2024 | Press Release , North East News

Violent sexual predator who tried to kill a schoolgirl convicted of further offences against eight others

A violent sexual predator who tried to murder a schoolgirl has been convicted of further offences against eight others at Teesside Crown Court today.

29 November 2024 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North East News

Dangerous dog owner convicted for fatal attack

A dog owner whose XL bully fatally attacked another man has been convicted today at Newcastle Crown Court.

18 November 2024 | Press Release , North East News

GP convicted after injecting man with flesh-eating toxin during fake covid vaccination

A Sunderland doctor has been convicted of attempting to kill his mother’s partner, after injecting him with a toxin that caused a flesh-eating disease during a faked COVID vaccine appointment.

07 October 2024 | Press Release , Violent crime , North East News

Search CPS News

In-depth - a deeper look at high-profile cases and the work of the CPS

'You can trust me, I'm a police officer' couldn't be further from the truth
How 13 women's testimonies secured the fate of serial rapist David Carrick
How a criminal case works
From reporting to appeals - how a criminal case works, end-to-end.
How we make our decisions
How does the CPS make the decision to prosecute - or not?
Our criminal justice partners
We don't just work with the police - here's a look at our many partners within the criminal justice system.
Transforming our service to victims at the CPS
Being a victim of crime can be deeply traumatic, and for those who find themselves in the criminal justice system the process can feel overwhelming, unfamiliar, and incredibly challenging.

Articles and speeches

Read articles and speeches from the CPS on matters of relevance to the Criminal Justice System

Articles and Speeches

CPS Says

The CPS position on major issues in the news, our response to inaccuracies in media reports and our letters to the media.

CPS Says...

Contacts: National media

Please note that our Press Office is NOT able to deal with issues or queries from members of the public - these contact details are for accredited journalists ONLY. Do not call this number unless you a member of the press. For all general enquiries, please visit contact.cps.gov.uk.

If you are a national or international journalist with a media enquiry, you can contact the CPS Press Office on 020 3357 0906 or email [email protected] (9am-5pm weekdays only).

For out-of-hours media enquiries please call 020 3357 0906 to reach the duty press officer.

Contacts: Local media

Cymru/Wales
Richard Paull
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 02920 803950

East Midlands
Graham Buchanan
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0115 852 3343

East of England
Gillian Andrews
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01245 455027

London (North and South)
Wendy Wyeth or Molly Barker
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 02380 673873

Mersey-Cheshire
Jackie Rand
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0151 239 6334

North East
Chris Black
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0191 260 4216

North West
Kerry Bell
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0161 827 4705

South East
Cheryl Pendry
Email: [email protected]
Telephones: 01227 655862 / 07876 390054

South West
Gary Cockram
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0117 930 2968

Thames and Chiltern
Angie Patton
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01189 513625

Wessex
Wessex Communications
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 02380 673873

West Midlands
Kofo Baptist
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0203 357 0625

Yorkshire and Humberside
Elizabeth Ogborn
Email: [email protected]
Telephones: 0113 290 2839 / 07500 835186

Our social media policy

If you follow us on social media, you can expect posts covering some or all of the following:

Operational updates on decisions to prosecute or take no further action;
Reactions and statements on trial outcomes;
Policy updates from the Director of Public Prosecutions and other prosecutors;
Updates on media appearances by CPS staff
Content that explains the role of the CPS and how we work
Highlighting of relevant work by our criminal justice partners and other stakeholders

We will aim to be fair and accurate in all the information we publish. We will aim to correct any inaccuracies as soon as possible.

We are unable to monitor social media round the clock. We are not able to engage with all those who seek a response from us due to resources but also due to privacy and the sensitive nature of some of our work. The best way to contact the CPS is through our website.

Please do not try to report crime using social media. To report crime, please call 101 or visit your local police station. In an emergency, always call 999.

If you follow us on social media we will not automatically follow you back. Being followed by us does not imply endorsement of any kind.

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