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 violence against women and girls and hate crime, to support for victims and witnesses, statistics and speeches.

To ensure greater openness in the reporting of criminal proceedings, the CPS, the police and media representatives developed a joint protocol for working together.

Here you can find our latest news stories and search for others. You can also find additional details about a number of high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.

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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.

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

Man jailed for killing brother and sister 29 years ago

A man who killed an elderly brother and sister in 1993 has been sentenced to a minimum of 32 years in prison.

29 November 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , London North News

Man pleads guilty to murder and sexual assault of woman

A man has pleaded guilty to the murder and sexual assault of Zara Aleena in Ilford, east London, on 26 June, 2022.

18 November 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , London North News

Man found guilty of religiously aggravated attacks on Jewish victims

A 30-year-old man from West Yorkshire has today (10 November) been found guilty of three religiously aggravated crimes against members of the Jewish community in the Stamford Hill area of London.

10 November 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , London North News

Killer sentenced to life – 42 years after crime

A 61-year-old man has today, 4 November 2022, been given a life sentence for killing man in 1980.

04 November 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , London North, London South News

Woman sentenced to 34 years for brutal murder

A 38-year-old woman has been jailed, today, Friday 28 October 2022, for the brutal murder of Mee Kuen Chong, known as Deborah Chong, a 67-year-old woman from the Wembley area of London.

28 October 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , London North News

CPS authorises charges in Thomas O’Halloran case

Lee Byer, 44, has been charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

19 August 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , London North News

Inmate sentenced for throwing boiling water in the face of prison guard

An inmate who threw boiling water into the faces of a prison guard and a vulnerable fellow prisoner at HMP Wandsworth has today been sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.

04 August 2022 |

Man convicted of murdering mother-of-two in East Ham

James Sinclair, 31, stabbed 40-year-old Shadika Patel in East Ham during the early hours of 19 March 2020 in the lead up to the first national coronavirus lockdown.

05 July 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , London North News

Husband jailed for life after murdering wife in Ilford family home

Muhammad Ilyas, 41, murdered 32-year-old Maria Rafael Chavez at their home in Ilford on 13 May last year.

01 July 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , London North News

Search CPS News

In-depth - a deeper look at high-profile cases and the work of the CPS

'You can trust me, I'm a police officer' couldn't be further from the truth
How 13 women's testimonies secured the fate of serial rapist David Carrick
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.

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...

Contacts: National media

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 call the General Enquiries line: 020 3357 0899 or 020 3357 0000 (09:00-17:00, Monday-Friday) or 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 cps.pressoffice@cps.gov.uk (9am-5pm weekdays only).

For out-of-hours media enquiries please call 020 3357 0906 to reach the duty press officer.

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)
Wendy Wyeth or Molly Barker
Email: london.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02380 673873

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
Wessex Communications
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 social media policy

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.

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.

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