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 25 results for area "South West"

Date format: dd/mm/yyyy
Date format: dd/mm/yyyy

Motorcycle club members sentenced for brutal attack on the president of another club

Three members of a motorcycle club have been sentenced for violent disorder after they assaulted the president of another club and his partner in a planned attack in the Forest of Dean.
Press Release Violent crime South West

Man convicted and sentenced for killing ex's partner with samurai sword

A man from Dorset has been convicted and sentenced for the murder of Craig Hurcombe, who was killed with a samurai-style sword in a premeditated attack in Somerset in January 2026.
Press Release Violent crime South West

Man guilty of murder after the remains of two bodies discovered in woodland

A man has been found guilty of the murder of two men whose remains were found in woodland near St Austell in 2025. 
Press Release Violent crime National news South West

CPS charges man with murder following death of Ann Widdecombe

The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised a murder charge against Joshua Kerry, 28, following the death of Ann Widdecombe.
Press Release Violent crime National news South West

Four people convicted of fatal acid attack in Plymouth

Four people have been convicted of their involvement in the murder of Danny Cahalane, who died following an acid attack in Plymouth.
Press Release Violent crime South West
Custody image of James Holder provided by Gloucestershire Police

UPDATED: Superdry co-founder jailed for rape

The co-founder of clothing company Superdry has been jailed for eight years today for raping a woman after a night out.
Press Release Sexual offences National news South West
Custody image of Nathan Bennett

Nursery worker who sexually assaulted children jailed

Nathan Bennett, 30, was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment at Bristol Crown Court for multiple sexual assaults against children in his care, including two counts of rape.
Press Release Sexual offences South West

Gloucestershire woman who imprisoned victim for over 20 years is jailed

A woman from Tewkesbury who kept another woman captive for over 20 years and forced her to carry out labour in her home has been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.
Press Release Violent crime National news South West
Nathan Bennett

Nursery worker convicted of serious sexual offences against children in his care

A nursery worker has been convicted at Bristol Crown Court of multiple sexual assaults against children in his care, including two counts of rape. Nathan Bennett, aged 30, was convicted by a jury of two counts of raping a child, four counts of sexual assault of a child and two counts of assault of a child by penetration.
News Item Sexual offences South West

New pledge to recognise patterns of domestic abuse as charges in CPS South West continue to increase

All prosecutors in the region will now work under the national VAWG strategy, developed after listening to victims’ experiences, and delivering justice through prosecutions which reflect the full reality of each case of abuse.
Press Release Domestic abuse South 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:

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  • Policy updates from the Director of Public Prosecutions and other prosecutors;
  • Updates on media appearances by CPS staff
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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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