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 41 - 50 of 58 results for area "South East"
A man who yelled homophobic abuse at police officers during a protest in Chatham has become the first person in Kent to be jailed following the recent spate of national disorder.Daniel Baldock was asked by police to disperse at Wednesday night’s (7 August) protest, but resisted those requests,…
A prisoner on day release who attempted to murder a work colleague in what was described as a “brutal, frenzied and sustained” attack has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Nicholas Fryers was a serving prisoner at HMP Standford Hill, but working at the Sainsbury’s distribution centre in…
A controlling and violent man who lied about how his girlfriend sustained fatal injuries to try to evade responsibility for her death, has been convicted of murdering her. Holly Sanchez’s body was found in a property in Crawley on the morning of 13 May 2023, following a 999 call from Ryan…
Press ReleaseDomestic abuseViolent crimeSouth East
A teenager has been convicted of the murder of a 17-year-old who died after being stabbed during a fight at a party near Horsham, Sussex. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was heard by witnesses making references to knives during the party in July 2023. He had already been…
A woman has been convicted of the murder of a pub landlord in Maidstone, who was stabbed in the street outside his pub.Matthew Bryant died at the scene outside the Hare and Hounds pub on 11 September 2023 after being stabbed three times by Stephanie Langley. The wounds inflicted on him were…
A man who undertook what was described in court as a “campaign of rape” over a seven-year period has been jailed for 19 and a half years. Alan Hurst was also given a five and a half year extended licence. He targeted the child victim between 2015 and 2022. She shared with her friend what was…
A small boat pilot has been convicted of the manslaughter of four men who were attempting to reach the UK.Ibrahima Bah was the pilot of the boat in the early hours of 14 December 2022, when according to witnesses on board, the boat ripped apart. Those on board reported that it had started taking on…
A father convicted of murdering his two-year-old daughter, who died after sustaining catastrophic brain injuries, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.Zahra Ghulami was taken to Darenth Valley Hospital on 27 May 2020 by her father Jan Ali Gholami. She was unresponsive and had a large swelling to…
A man has been given a life sentence today for murdering a homeless man in a Canterbury car park, who had trained as a barrister and was attacked with a wooden gavel type hammer and laptop.Guy Malbec was killed in Castle Street car park on Easter Sunday (9 April) 2023, where he had been living in a…
A mother and her boyfriend have both been given life sentences today for the murder of her 18-month-old son, who died after multiple injuries were deliberately inflicted on him.On the night of his death, Alfie Philips was with his mother Sian Hedges and her boyfriend Jack Benham, staying in a…
Press ReleaseViolent crimeSouth 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.
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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.
