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 21 - 30 of 123 results for area "North West"
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…
A man who deliberately drove into a police officer in Stockport has been sentenced today at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.Harvey Bell, 19, was sentenced to 31 months' custody in a Young Offender Institution and was disqualified from driving for two years.Victoria Agulló, Senior Crown…
A man has been jailed today for causing the death of three-year-old Louisa (Lulu) Palmisano, after the van he was driving struck a tram and mounted the pavement.Rawal Rehman, 36, was jailed at Manchester Crown Court for 12 years and disqualified from driving for over 13 years.On 22 February 2025 at…
Nicola Wells, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “Four Just Stop Oil protesters have been sentenced today after they were intercepted by the police on route to cause disruption at Manchester Airport on 5 August 2024.“This was a targeted attack, at the height of summer, against one of…
Company Director, Jake Balmforth, 35, has been jailed for five years for manslaughter, after an outbreak of violence in a Blackpool pub led to the death of Anthony Johnson. A nine year football banning order was also imposed.Katie Lord, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “This case…
A man previously convicted of murdering a 23-year-old man in 2011 has been found guilty of stabbing his 64-year-old great uncle to death last year.Direece Roche, 30, stabbed his great uncle to death, after entering his house through an upstairs window in the early hours of 30 June 2024.Fintan…
A man has been found guilty of murdering his 24-year-old daughter-in-law, just six months after she arrived in the UK to marry his son.Mashal Ilyas, who came to the UK following arrangements made by the two families, was found unconscious at the bottom of the stairs in the family home on 9 October…
A man who pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking has been sentenced today at Workington Magistrates Court.Graham Roberts, 72, was given a 12-month community order with a 10-day rehabilitation requirement, fined £294 and given a 12-month restraining order.Roberts wrote unwanted love letters…
A man has been jailed after carrying out a terrifying sex attack on a woman in broad daylight.Brandon Smith, 25, was sentenced today to 12 years and six months' imprisonment, with an extended licence period of three years, at Bolton Crown Court for raping and sexually assaulting a woman in July…
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
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.
