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.

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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.

Shropshire man jailed for £1.9 m cheque fraud after plea agreement

A former Shropshire hotel manager has been jailed for five years after defrauding almost £2 million from businesses using invalid cheques.

04 December 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Haulage boss jailed seven years for his role in people-smuggling network linked to Essex lorry deaths

A haulage boss has been jailed today for his involvement in a people-smuggling network linked to the tragic deaths of 39 Vietnamese men, women and children in Essex.

30 November 2023 | Press Release , International and organised crime , CPS 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

Oxbridge fraudster gets another eight-years in jail for failing to pay back £2.7m court order

One of the five Oxbridge-educated fraudsters who lured wealthy individuals to invest in fake “green” projects is sentenced to an additional term of imprisonment for non-payment of his £2.7m Confiscation Order.

29 November 2023 | Press Release , Proceeds of crime, Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

People smugglers ordered to pay over £280,000 from criminal profits in the Essex lorry deaths case

A convicted people smuggler, responsible for the manslaughter of 39 people who died in the back of a lorry in Essex, has today (24 September 2023) been ordered to pay a total of £65,157.65 to victims’ families through a Confiscation Order made by the court today.

24 November 2023 | Press Release , Proceeds of crime, International and organised crime , CPS News

Rotherham man jailed for child sex abuse offences

A man who groomed schoolgirls and abused them on multiple occasions at his home in Rotherham has today been convicted and jailed.

23 November 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences, International and organised crime , CPS News

Man jailed for gross negligence manslaughter after death of David Haw in boat collision

A boat skipper has been jailed after a man was killed when the vessel he was steering crashed into a buoy at high-speed.

Morgan Smith, 21, had been drinking alcohol prior to the collision, which took place at Poole Harbour during the early hours of 2 May, 2022.

21 November 2023 | Press Release , CPS 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

CEO departure

Rebecca Lawrence has announced her departure from the CPS. She will continue to offer advice to the new DPP and CEO during the transition to the next phase for the organisation.

17 November 2023 | Press Release , CPS News

£9.8 million to be seized from man who produced steroids on commercial scale

Mohammed Afzal who was convicted as part of a conspiracy to produce commercial quantities of illegal medical drugs has been ordered to pay back millions of pounds or face 10 extra years in prison.

17 November 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime, Proceeds of crime, Drug offences , CPS 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 cps.pressoffice@cps.gov.uk (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: richard.paull@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02920 803950

East Midlands
Graham Buchanan
Email: Graham.Buchanan@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0115 852 3343

East of England
Gillian Andrews
Email: gillian.andrews@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01245 455027

London (North and South)
Wendy Wyeth or Molly Barker
Email: london.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02380 673873

Mersey-Cheshire
Jackie Rand
Email: jackie.rand@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0151 239 6334

North East
Chris Black
Email: chris.black@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0191 260 4216

North West
Kerry Bell
Email: kerry.bell@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0161 827 4705

South East
Cheryl Pendry
Email: cheryl.pendry@cps.gov.uk
Telephones: 01227 655862 / 07876 390054

South West
Gary Cockram
Email: gary.cockram@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0117 930 2968

Thames and Chiltern
Angie Patton
Email: Angie.Patton@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01189 513625

Wessex
Wessex Communications
Email: wessex.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02380 673873

West Midlands
Kofo Baptist
Email: kofo.baptist@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0203 357 0625

Yorkshire and Humberside
Elizabeth Ogborn
Email: elizabeth.ogborn@cps.gov.uk
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.

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