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 transgender woman who failed to disclose her gender status to a male sexual partner has been found guilty of sexual assault today at Teesside Crown Court.Ciara Watkin, 21, of Walton Street, Stockton-on-Tees, was found guilty of multiple charges relating to sexual acts that she performed on the 21…
A violent sexual predator who tried to murder a schoolgirl has been jailed for 38 years at Teesside Crown Court today.Ellis Dismore, 24, of Stoneyhurst Avenue, Middlesbrough, hounded one of his victims online for many months before ambushing her as she walked home from school. He then chased her,…
A sexual predator who coerced children from across the UK and the US into sexual activity has been sentenced today at Durham Crown Court. Mark Dodds, 38, of Old Elvet, Durham was sentenced following his conviction after trial of five charges of sexual assault against one of his victims, with a…
A violent sexual predator who tried to murder a schoolgirl has been convicted of further offences against eight others at Teesside Crown Court today. Ellis Dismore, 24, of Stoneyhurst Avenue, Middlesbrough, has been convicted for the second time, after being found guilty after trial in…
An ex-cricket coach previously jailed for multiple sex offences against young boys has been sentenced today at Newcastle Crown Court for offences against two further victims. Michael Strange, 64, who is already serving a jail sentence as a result of previous offences, was sentenced after…
A man who subjected a vulnerable woman to a terrifying and sustained sexual assault has been sentenced today at Newcastle Crown Court. Liam Maughan, 38, of Marine Avenue, Wallsend was sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple offences relating to the attack. In November 2022, Maughan invited…
A dangerous attacker who subjected a Durham woman to a violent rape attempt in her own home has been sentenced today at Durham Crown Court.Jonathan Andrew Cummings, 34, of Cookson Street, Chester-Le-Street was jailed for twelve years after pleading guilty to four charges relating to the attempted…
Prosecutors in the North East have been working with police to make promising strides in improving file quality and reducing delays in charging decisions for rape and sexual assault cases.
Staff in the region’s Rape and serious Sexual Offences Unit (RASSO) joined forces with colleagues from…
Press ReleaseSexual offencesCPSNorth East
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.
