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 137 results for area "North West"
10 men have been sentenced this week after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecuted an organised crime gang, following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police, assisted by the National Crime Agency under Operation Venetic which revealed incriminating messages from devices linked to…
A man who was previously jailed for grievous bodily harm in 2013 has been jailed for life after pleading guilty to his murder over a decade after the initial assault following a successful prosecution by the Crown Prosecution Service.Anthony Ellis, now 36, was jailed for life today (27 August) with…
A former Premier League football player has today been sentenced at Preston Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to harassment without violence.Colin Hendry, 59, pleaded guilty to harassing a former partner for a period of over six weeks after their relationship ended.Natasha Clark, Senior…
Originally published 24 July 2025.A man who preyed on people in the Canal Street area of Manchester, known as the ‘gay village’, has been jailed for life with a 16-year minimum term at Manchester Crown Court, after being found guilty of raping two men and one woman in a series of attacks.Mourad…
A patient who attempted to murder a nurse with scissors, causing her to end up in intensive care, has been found guilty following a trial at Minshull Street Crown Court.Romon Haque, 38, viciously stabbed the nurse with scissors in an unprovoked, frenzied attack.Claire Aitken, Senior Crown…
Wendy Logan, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “John Belfield was responsible for leading a meticulously planned attack to kill Thomas Campbell. Evidence presented by the prosecution made it clear that Belfield had orchestrated this attack and left no stone unturned to ensure it…
A man who abused his position by granting asylum applications for money has been jailed today.Imran Mulla, 39, was jailed for four and a half years, having pleaded guilty to immigration offences and bribery after manipulating the system to overturn a refused asylum claim.Another man, Nural Amin…
A man has been jailed today for his involvement in the sexual exploitation and trafficking of women.Laszlo Matus, 53, conspired with the previously sentenced Melinda Petrovics 35, and Attila Angyal 43, to control women, transporting them across the North West and forcing them to carry out sexual…
Suzanne Llewellyn, Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS North West, said:“The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the prosecution of two men in relation to the death of a 13-month-old boy in Blackpool.“Jamie Varley, 36, of Grimsargh in Lancashire, has been charged with the murder of baby Preston…
Press ReleaseViolent crimeSexual offencesNorth West
A psychiatrist who inappropriately touched his patients has been found guilty of three counts of sexual assault following a trial at Bolton Crown Court.Dr Vijay Gaikwad, 44, denied sexually assaulting his patients, claiming he had not conducted physical examinations of the three women.Gill Petrovic…
Press ReleaseSexual offencesNorth West
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.
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.
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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.
