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.
Latest news
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.
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…
The Crown Prosecution Service has today announced charges against a man in connection with a religiously aggravated rape in Walsall.John Ashby, 32, of no fixed abode has been charged today (Tuesday, 28 October 2025) with one count of rape and sexual assault in relation to the attack of the woman…
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…
In September 2025, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ and Crown Court units successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.A 41-year-old man from Wolverhampton has been sentenced following a racially aggravated incident on public transport. On 29 June 2024, the…
A mother has been convicted of child cruelty after the death of her five-month-old daughter who died as she celebrated her birthday with vodka hours before.Natasha Birks, 37, of Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, was convicted of child cruelty at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court today (17 September 2025) following…
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…
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…
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…
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…
In August 2025, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ and Crown Court units successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.A 21-year-old man from Sandwell has been sentenced to a 12-month community order, including 150 hours of unpaid work, for racially abusive phone…
Press ReleaseHate crimeWest Midlands
Press Office contact details
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.
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
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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.
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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.
