CPS News Centre

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 131 - 137 of 137 results for area "North West"

Leeds man jailed for further child sexual offences
A man from Leeds has been jailed for a further nine years for sexual offences against a second girl in Lancashire. James King, 49, from Leeds, began sexual abusing a schoolgirl in 2003 when she was 14 years old and he was 28 years old after contacting her in an internet chat room. …
Press Release Sexual offences North West
Owner of dogs who left six-year-old girl with life-changing injuries jailed
The owner of dangerously out of control dogs that left a six-year-old girl with life-changing injuries after attacking her outside her home has been jailed. Bernard Valentine, 36, from Trafford, had his dogs dangerously out of control in December 2022 when a man and his dog were attacked and in…
Press Release North West
Openshaw man convicted of drugging and raping woman
A man has been convicted of sexual offences against three women, including drugging and raping a woman. Steven Evans, 33, of Openshaw, Manchester, was convicted today of 33 sexual offences including 15 rapes between February 2015 and October 2021. He was also convicted of two counts of…
Press Release Sexual offences North West
North West Chief Prosecutor welcomes new guidance for prosecutors on mental health conditions and disorders
Guidance for prosecutors on dealing with defendants with mental health issues has been updated to reflect growing understanding of different conditions, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced today. The revised guidance is designed to assist decision making throughout the life of a…
Press Release North West
CPS North West response to Inspectorate report
CPS North West has good leadership, is managing its resources well and is building effective partnerships across the criminal justice system according to a report published today by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI). The report also highlights the North West Area’s…
Press Release North West
Farmer guilty of disturbing osprey nest
A 59-year-old man has been found guilty of disturbing an osprey nest in Keswick, Cumbria on 13 June 2017. Paul Barnes used his tractor to tow a trailer of people into the field where the osprey was nesting at his farm near Bassenthwaite Lake, Keswick The two adult birds left the nest as a…
North West
Man given life for murdering partner 20 years after killing another partner
A man has today been given a life sentence for the murder of his partner, more than 20 years after he was convicted for the manslaughter of a previous partner. Paul Plunkett, 62, was found guilty in 1996 of killing Jacqueline Aspery and today pleaded guilty to the unrelated murder of…
Press Release Violent crime CPS North 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.

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The Crown Prosecution Service on social media

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.

Read the current protocol

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