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.

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.

Sign up for a regular newsletter from your local CPS Area

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.

Two teenagers who plotted murder convicted of killing Brianna Ghey

Two teenagers who plotted together to commit a murder have been convicted of killing a 16-year-old girl in a park in Cheshire.

20 December 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, Mersey-Cheshire News

Lawrence Bierton: Whole life order for Worksop murder

A convicted killer who struck again by bludgeoning his elderly neighbour to death while out on life licence, has been given a whole life sentence for her murder.

20 December 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, East Midlands News

UPDATED WITH SENTENCE: Violent abuser who murdered ex-partner and disposed of her body is convicted

An abusive boyfriend who murdered his former partner and disposed of her body more than a decade ago has sentenced.

11 December 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, South West News

Four men found guilty of killing 17-year-old Trust Gangata.

A group of four men have been convicted for killing 17-year-old Trust Gangata in a tragic case of mistaken identity.

30 November 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, Yorkshire and Humberside News

Gang who plotted to kill a man but murdered his innocent girlfriend jailed

On Wednesday 22 November at Liverpool Crown Court, four men were sentenced to a total of 173 years in prison for the murder of Ashley Dale at her home in Old Swan in August 2022, conspiracy to murder Ashley’s boyfriend Lee Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, namely a Skorpion

20 November 2023 | Press Release , International and organised crime, Violent crime , CPS, Mersey-Cheshire News

Kidnap gang jailed after subjecting men to savage torture

Members of an armed gang which kidnapped and brutally tortured a man for 27 hours have been imprisoned for between 25 and six years.

27 October 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, Cymru/Wales, London North News

Firearms fanatic who built a personal armoury of weapons and explosives convicted

A gun-obsessed extremist who planned to replicate infamous mass shootings and built his own personal armoury of homemade weapons and explosives to carry out an attack has been convicted.

13 October 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, South West News

Man who killed stranger with a single punch has been jailed

A man who killed a stranger with a single punch before entering a pub and bragging about it has been jailed.

06 October 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, Wessex News

CPS publishes updated homicide prosecution guidance

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has published its updated prosecution guidance on homicide following a 12-week public consultation.

05 October 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS News

Sara Sharif death – CPS authorises murder charge against father

The CPS has authorised Surrey Police to charge Urfan Sharif with the murder of his 10-year-old daughter Sara.

15 September 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, South 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 call the General Enquiries line: 020 3357 0899 or 020 3357 0000 (09:00-17:00, Monday-Friday) or 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.

Follow us on social media

Keep up to date

Accessibility controls