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Support for Victims and Witnesses

Being a victim or a witness to a crime is not easy, but, with your help, we work hard to bring offenders to justice. Throughout the justice process we will support you and treat you with dignity.

The aim of witness care units is to provide a single point of contact for Victims and Witnesses, minimising the stress of attending court and keeping  victims and witnesses up to date with any news in a way that is convenient to them.

Witnesses are essential to successful prosecutions and we are committed to making the process as straightforward as we can.

Read the fact sheet about witness care units

Find out more about being a witness

Watch a video clip about Witness Care Units

Prosecuting Homicide

Murder and manslaughter are two of the offences that constitute homicide.

Manslaughter can be committed in one of three ways:

  1. killing with the intent for murder but where there is provocation, diminished responsibility or a suicide pact.
  2. conduct that was grossly negligent given the risk of death, and resulted in death.
  3. conduct, taking the form of an unlawful act involving a danger of some harm, that caused death.

With some exceptions, the crime of murder is committed, where a person:

  • of sound mind and discretion (i.e. sane):
  • unlawfully kills (i.e. not self-defence or other justified killing)
  • any reasonable creature (human being)
  • in being (born alive and breathing through its own lungs)
  • under the Queen's Peace
  • with intent to kill or cause grievous bodily harm.

There are other specific homicide offences, for example, infanticide, causing death by dangerous driving, and corporate manslaughter.

Find out more about prosecuting homicide

Home » News Centre » Press Releases » CPS sets new standard for witness care at Birmingham shootings trial

CPS sets new standard for witness care at Birmingham shootings trial

18/03/2005

Crown Prosecution Service care for witnesses in this murder trial has set precedents for future cases where those giving evidence fear for their lives, said West Midlands Chief Crown Prosecutor David Blundell.

Mr Blundell said: "Bringing this case to court could hardly have been more challenging. The shooting was a horrific act of violence and because of the close links between many of those at the party, witnesses were reluctant to approach police for fear of reprisals - let alone attend court."

He paid tribute to the courage of prosecution witnesses, including Cheryl Shaw and Sophie Ellis, who were seriously injured in the shooting that claimed the lives of Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare.

Mr Blundell said: "Giving evidence in any case is not an easy thing to do. In this particular case, the prosecution witnesses showed great courage in being prepared to come to court and see justice done."

"From the start the CPS and West Midlands Police knew that a future court case would demand extreme witness care and we drew up a witness strategy in the weeks following the shooting."

The prosecution had to convince the court to grant a range of measures, at the trial venue in Leicester, including:

  • Total witness anonymity and pseudonyms for four witnesses. The court was cleared and a police security strategy put in place to bring them to court.
  • Rarely used voice distortion. The CPS hired a specialist sound firm to slightly lower the pitch of witnesses' voices while the dock was specially sealed so the witnesses' real voice could not be heard by the defendants and a time delay of several seconds put in place to avoid accidental identification.
  • West Midlands CPS paid for three plasma TV screens to be installed in another courtroom to allow the public and press to hear anonymous witnesses' evidence and see judge and counsel.

The size of the case was reflected in the amount of material prosecutor Timothy Raggatt QC had to use: 700 exhibits copied over 2500 pages and thousands of pages of mobile phone data. Expert evidence in mobile phone use was crucial in the case to place the times and places phones were used - often for calls lasting only seconds.

Mr Blundell said: "I'm convinced we made the right decision. No resource was spared in the investigation and prosecution of this case. CPS West Midlands worked as a team with West Midlands Police from the early days following the shooting in January 2003 and we would like to thank them for their tireless work."

Finally, our thoughts rest with the parents, other family members and friends of Charlene and Letisha.

Media enquiries to CPS National Press Office on 020 7710 6088.