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CPS News Centre

Criminal cases that the Crown Prosecution Service take to court are in the news every day. This section also covers many issues related to our work, including violence against women and girls, hate crime, support for victims and witnesses, statistics, and speeches by the Director of Public Prosecutions and other senior staff.

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You can find our latest news stories here and search for older stories. You can also find more information about high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.

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To make criminal court reporting more open, the CPS, police, and media representatives created a joint protocol (agreement) for working together. We are currently working on an updated version of the protocol. 

Showing 1 - 10 of 22 results for crime type "Violent crime" & area "West Midlands"

Date format: mm/dd/yyyy
Date format: mm/dd/yyyy

Further charges against Anthony Williams

The Crown Prosecution Service has today announced further charges against Anthony Williams, 32, from Peterborough.Siobhan Blake, Chief Crown Prosecutor for West Midlands, said: “We have decided to prosecute Anthony Williams with two counts of attempted murder and one count of attempted wounding…
Press Release Violent crime CPS West Midlands

CPS announces charges against man following incident on LNER train from Doncaster to London

The CPS has today announced Anthony Williams, 32, has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of possession of a bladed article following an incident on a LNER train from Doncaster to London on Saturday 01 November, 2025…
News Item Violent crime CPS West Midlands

Man convicted of murdering wife in Droitwich Spa

A husband has been convicted of murdering his wife after he stabbed her at their Worcestershire home.Mohamed Samak, 43, of Chestnut Spinney, Droitwich Spa was found guilty at Worcester Crown Court today (Wednesday, 29 October 2025) of killing 49-year-old Joanne Samak following a trial. The…
Press Release Violent crime West Midlands

Man convicted of murdering Walsall hotel worker on train station platform

A man has been convicted of murdering a hotel worker after he followed her to a railway station and stabbed her multiple times with a screwdriver.Killer Deng Chol Majek, 19, singled out 27-year-old Rhiannon Whyte who had been working at a hotel housing asylum seekers in Walsall where he had been…
Press Release Violent crime CPS West Midlands

Man sentenced after fleeing UK following fatal stabbing

A man who fled the UK after fatally stabbing a teenager has been sentenced to 22 years' imprisonment following a two-and-a-half-year international manhunt.Ishmael Farquharson, 34, of Porchester Drive, Birmingham, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court today (17 September 2025) for the manslaughter…
Press Release Violent crime West Midlands

Man jailed for murder of Jamie Gawler

A killer has been jailed for murdering a 54-year-old man in a homophobic attack in his home.Matthew Jonathan, 39, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 32 years today (Friday, 12 September 2025) at Worcester Crown Court for the murder of Jamie Gawler.On…
Press Release Violent crime West Midlands

Killer sentenced for murdering 94-year-old great-grandfather during vicious burglary

A man who subjected a 94-year-old great-grandfather to a fatal beating during a burglary has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 33 years minus term served on remand after the CPS was able to use his dying words as evidence against his killer.Paul Topham, 45, of Palmerston…
Press Release Violent crime West Midlands

Woman sentenced for murdering estranged husband

A woman who murdered her estranged husband and then lied to emergency services saying he had taken his own life has been sentenced to life imprisonment.Amy Pugh, 34, of Stafford Road in Wolverhampton was sentenced today (5 September 2025) at Stafford Crown Court to life imprisonment with a minimum…
Press Release Violent crime West Midlands

Woman convicted of murdering ex-partner on Christmas Day

A woman has been convicted of murdering her ex-partner after stabbing him through the heart with a kitchen knife at his family home on Christmas Day last year.Kirsty Carless was found guilty today at Stafford Crown Court of killing 31-year-old Louis Price at his parents' house in Cannock,…
Press Release Violent crime Domestic abuse West Midlands

Grandson convicted of killing grandfather

A man has been convicted of killing his grandfather following a violent attack that left the pensioner with fatal brain injuries.Jakob Walpole, 33, of Bulkington was found guilty of the manslaughter of 81-year-old John Brown at Warwick Crown Court today (30 July 2025) after a trial lasting three…
Press Release Violent crime West Midlands

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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).

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Media protocol

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 in the process of updating the protocol.

Read the current protocol

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