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 11 - 20 of 27 results for area "South West"
Five people, including four youths who cannot be named because of their ages, have been convicted at Bristol Crown Court of the murders of teenagers Mason Rist and Max Dixon, who were attacked and killed on the Knowle area of the city in January 2024.All five defendants were convicted of both…
UPDATE: On 18 October the pupil was given a life sentence at Exeter Crown Court, and ordered to serve a minimum of 12 years in prison. A private school pupil who left two of his housemates with life-changing injuries after a violent hammer attack has been convicted of their attempted murder …
A former Olympic swimmer and trainee police officer, who represented Great Britain at the 2012 London Games, has been convicted of raping two teenage girls (Wednesday 16 October).Antony James, 34, was convicted by a jury at Plymouth Crown Court of eight charges, including three counts of rape,…
A vandal who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a high street store has been jailed just four days after violent disorder broke out in Plymouth City Centre.Justin Crimp, 49, was identified after footage clearly showed him at the front of the disorder and then throwing rocks and smashing…
The first sentences have been handed down in the South West for offenders involved in the violent disorder and looting in Plymouth City Centre on Monday.Lucas Ormond Skeaping, 29, Daniel McGuire, 45, and Michael Williams, 51, all pleaded guilty to violent disorder yesterday and were sentenced at…
A man from Exmouth has been convicted of the murder of Lorna England, who was stabbed to death as she walked home through Ludwell Valley Park in Exeter.Following the attack on 18 February 2023, Cameron Davis, went shopping and visited two pubs. He was arrested around six hours later on Exeter High…
A so-called football fan who committed a hate crime after directing racist abuse at a football player has been jailed for nine months.Ryan Ferguson, 24, of Barrberry Crescent, Liverpool, had pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment, failing to comply with a football banning order and…
A group of protesters have been found guilty of breaking into the head office of an international defence technology firm and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.Stavit Sinai, 38, Ronnie Barkan, 47, Eliza Sarson-Diment, 24, Archie Sadler, 26, Finton Owens, 25, Jarvey Georgson, 26, and Paul…
Victoria Cook, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS South West, said: “CPS South West’s Complex Casework Unit has today authorised two murder charges against a 14-year-old boy following the deaths of 16-year-old Max Dixon and 15-year-old Mason Rist.“The 14-year-old, who cannot be named due to legal…
Victoria Cook, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS South West, said: “Prosecutors from CPS South West’s Complex Casework Unit have authorised two murder charges against a 17-year-old boy following the deaths of 16-year-old Max Dixon and 15-year-old Mason Rist.“The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified…
Press ReleaseViolent crimeSouth 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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Policy updates from the Director of Public Prosecutions and other prosecutors;
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Content that explains the role of the CPS and how we work
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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.
