CPS News Centre

Criminal cases prosecuted by the CPS are in the news every day, along with a range of issues relating to our work – from hate crime and violence against women and girls, to support for victims and witnesses, statistics and speeches.

Here you can find our latest news stories and search for others.

Latest stories

How a criminal case works

From reporting to appeals - how a criminal case works, end-to-end.

How we make our decisions

How does the CPS make the decision to prosecute - or not?

Our criminal justice partners

We don't just work with the police - here's a look at our many partners within the criminal justice system.

Transforming our service to victims at the CPS

Being a victim of crime can be deeply traumatic, and for those who find themselves in the criminal justice system the process can feel overwhelming, unfamiliar, and incredibly challenging.

Media enquiries

National, international and specialist media should contact the main 24-hour press office.

Local media should contact their Area Communications Manager during normal working hours.

Articles and speeches

Read articles and speeches from the CPS on matters of relevance to the Criminal Justice System

Articles and Speeches

CPS Says

The CPS position on major issues in the news, our response to inaccuracies in media reports and our letters to the media.

CPS Says...

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.

Man charged with murder of Elle Edwards in Liverpool on Christmas Eve

The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised Merseyside Police to charge Connor William Chapman, 22, with nine offences relating to a shooting at the Lighthouse Public House on 24 December 2022.

13 January 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, Mersey-Cheshire News

A double murderer sentenced to life imprisonment

A builder who murdered two women, one of whose bodies has never been found, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

13 January 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS News

Jealous husband jailed for life for murder of estranged wife

A jealous husband who accused his estranged wife and mother of his two children of “disrespecting and humiliating” him has been sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder.

10 January 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime, Domestic abuse , CPS, Yorkshire and Humberside News

Whole life imprisonment order for Killamarsh family murders

A drug user living in Killamarsh in Derbyshire has been given a whole life sentence for the murder of a family and a young girl staying with them on a sleepover.

21 December 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, East Midlands News

Man convicted of brutal 1975 rape and murder after double jeopardy trial

A man who brutally raped and murdered his ex-girlfriend’s niece 47 years ago has been convicted after the CPS successfully overturned the verdict of a 1976 jury to see him face a retrial.

19 December 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime, Sexual offences , CPS, London North News

Man jailed for life over murder of Zara Aleena

A man who murdered a woman as she returned home after a night out has been jailed for life with a minimum of 38 years.

14 December 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, London North News

“Psychopath with a conscience” convicted of double murder

A man who claimed in a text to a friend that he was a “psychopath with a conscience” has been convicted of the murder of two women.

01 December 2022 |

Burnley man jailed for murdering mother-of-two Katie Kenyon with axe

Andrew Burfield, 51, from Burnley, has been given a life sentence for murdering 33-year-old Katie Kenyon in April this year.

17 November 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, North West News

Couple sentenced to life for murder of 15-year-old boy following a campaign of torture and abuse

A couple who subjected a 15-year-old boy to a sustained campaign of physical and mental abuse have been sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder, at Leeds Crown Court today.

03 November 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, Yorkshire and Humberside News

Sheffield solicitor murder: two men jailed for life

Two men have been jailed for life for the murder of 31-year-old Sheffield solicitor Khuram Javed.

04 October 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, Yorkshire and Humberside News

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Contacts: National media

If you are a national or international journalist with a media enquiry, you can contact the CPS Press Office between 9am and 5pm on weekdays:

Telephone: 020 3357 0906
Email: cps.pressoffice@cps.gov.uk

If you are a journalist with an urgent out-of-hours issue (before 9am or after 5pm on weekdays, on weekends or public holidays) please contact:

Telephone: 020 3357 0913

Please note that our Press Office is only able to deal with issues or queries from journalists. Anyone else should visit contact.cps.gov.uk.

Contacts: Local media

Cymru/Wales
Richard Paull
Email: richard.paull@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02920 803950

East Midlands
Graham Buchanan
Email: Graham.Buchanan@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0115 852 3343

East of England
Gillian Andrews
Email: gillian.andrews@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01245 455027

London (North and South)
Martin Bollers
Email: london.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 3357 0858

Mersey-Cheshire
Jackie Rand
Email: jackie.rand@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0151 239 6334

North East
Chris Black
Email: chris.black@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0191 260 4216

North West
Kerry Bell
Email: kerry.bell@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0161 827 4705

South East
Cheryl Pendry
Email: cheryl.pendry@cps.gov.uk
Telephones: 01227 655862 / 07876 390054

South West
Gary Cockram
Email: gary.cockram@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0117 930 2968

Thames and Chiltern
Angie Patton
Email: Angie.Patton@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01189 513625

Wessex
Wendy Wyeth
Email: wessex.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02380 673873

West Midlands
Kofo Baptist
Email: kofo.baptist@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0203 357 0625

Yorkshire and Humberside
Elizabeth Ogborn
Email: elizabeth.ogborn@cps.gov.uk
Telephones: 0113 290 2839 / 07500 835186

Our Twitter Policy

If you follow us on Twitter, you can expect tweets 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 Twitter 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 Twitter. To report crime, please call 101 or visit your local police station. In an emergency, always call 999.

If you follow us on Twitter we will not automatically follow you back. Being followed by us does not imply endorsement of any kind.

#HateCrimeMatters

Our social media campaign #HateCrimeMatters explains what hate crime is, and what can be done about it.

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