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 have created an agreement: the Media Protocol: Working together to support open justice.

Showing 1 - 10 of 72 results for area "South East"

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Man in Christmas jumper and second man jailed for endangering lives during Channel crossings

Two Sudanese men have been jailed today after pleading guilty to endangering the lives of others by piloting small boats across the English Channel.
Press Release International and organised crime National news South East

Former teacher jailed for sexual abuse from more than 40 years ago

A former teacher at Junior King’s School in Kent has been imprisoned for sexually abusing a school pupil more than 40 years ago. Dennis Fletcher was a resident boarding master between 1978 and 1997 and had already pleaded guilty to sexually abusing another boy during the same time at the…
News Item Sexual offences National news South East

Algerian jailed for risking lives during small boat crossing

An Algerian man who was caught on drone footage piloting a small boat across the Channel has become the third person to be sent to prison for endangering the lives of others.
Press Release International and organised crime National news South East

Man jailed over hospital car park rape

A man has been jailed for 11 years and 3 months for raping a woman in a hospital car park in Sussex.
Press Release Sexual offences National news South East

Developer fined £40,000 for destroying the habitat of an endangered species

A developer who felled trees on his land, destroying the habitat of an endangered species, has been fined £40,000.
Press Release National news South East

Jail for man who made £185k smuggling people from UK to France

A man who earned around £185,000 smuggling people from the UK to France in the back of lorries has today been jailed more than five years at Canterbury Crown Court.
Press Release International and organised crime National news South East

Cyclist convicted of raping teenager in Tunbridge Wells

A man has been found guilty of raping a teenage girl who was walking home in Tunbridge Wells.Rocco Minafra, 46, had been cycling around Tunbridge Wells for around 25 minutes before approaching the victim on the evening of 18 October 2025. He called her over and she thought she knew him from the…
Press Release Sexual offences National news South East

First sentences for migrants who risked lives of others during small boat crossing

Two men have today become the first illegal migrants to be sentenced for putting the lives of others at risk during a channel crossing.
Press Release International and organised crime National news South East

Mobile phone data helps to jail dangerous driver who killed two people

A dangerous driver who killed two people and injured a third person has been jailed after prosecutors used mobile phone data for the first time to prove he was driving at almost 100mph.
Press Release Driving offences South East

Man jailed for murdering his cousin in her own home

A man who murdered his cousin in her own home with an axe has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Rita Lambourne was on the phone to her partner on 12 February 2025 at her home in Bexhill-on-Sea, when he heard her telling someone to get out, before he heard banging and the line went dead…
Press Release Violent crime National news South 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.

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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.

Read the current protocol

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