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.
Working with the media
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 11 - 20 of 83 results for area "West Midlands"
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…
In July 2025, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ and Crown Court units successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.A 32-year-old man from Cornwall has been sentenced following a hate crime incident at St Austell Railway Station. On 30 September, the defendant…
An American citizen who attempted to murder a Birmingham clothing shop owner as part of an international assassination plot, before leaving the country and going on the run, has been convicted. ‘Hitwoman’ Aimee Betro, 44, from Wisconsin, USA dressed in a niqab to hide her identity when she…
In June 2025, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ and Crown court units successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.On 23 October 2025, a 35-year-old defendant from Richmond Upon Thames was present at Gillingham Railway Station, where he was racially abusive towards…
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,…
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 ReleaseViolent 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
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.
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.
