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Yorkshire and Humberside

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the main prosecuting authority in England and Wales. We work with all agencies in the criminal justice system, and liaise closely with the police, although we are independent from them.

Yorkshire Humberside map

The CPS has 14 operating Areas across England and Wales. CPS Yorkshire and Humberside is one of the largest CPS Areas outside London, serving a population of over five million. The Area covers West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, the Humber, and North East Lincolnshire.

CPS Yorkshire and Humberside is led by Chief Crown Prosecutor Jonathan Storer. He is supported by Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutors Michael Quinn, who has responsibility for the Complex Casework Unit, the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Unit and our team of Crown Advocates, Chris Hartley, who leads the Crown Court team, and Jonathan Wettreich, who leads the Magistrates' Court team. Zoe Speake is our Area Business Manager and has responsibility for business and operational delivery functions across the region.

We currently employ over 500 people including lawyers, paralegals, administrators and specialist staff.  We have offices in Leeds, Hull and Sheffield and every year we prosecute thousands of criminal cases in Magistrates’ Courts and Crown Courts across the region. 

The legal work of our Area is supported by a dedicated team of administrators whose job it is to ensure that all our correspondence is dealt with promptly and the digital  preparation of casework for court is dealt with efficiently.

Our Area Business Centre houses a team of specialists in the fields of performance, finance, human resources, health, safety and facilities, communications and inclusion.

Jonathan Storer, Chief Crown Prosecutor

Jonathan Storer, CCPJonathan began his career as a Legal Advisor in North Yorkshire and qualified as a solicitor in 1996, before joining the CPS in 2001. Gaining a wide range of experience in various roles in Greater Manchester, he was appointed Senior District Crown Prosecutor in 2010.

Jonathan led a range of Magistrates' and Crown Court teams in Lancashire and Cumbria before moving to CPS London South in 2015 as Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, leading the Crown Court team. Jonathan moved on to join CPS Yorkshire and Humberside in September 2019 as Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Magistrates’ Court team.

Jonathan became the Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Direct in June 2021 and then CCP for Mersey-Cheshire in October that year. In July 2024, he was appointed CCP for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside.


Chris Hartley, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor (Crown Court team)

Chris was called to the bar in 1987, joining a London Chambers which primarily undertook criminal work across the North East. Having found the role of a prosecuting advocate a rewarding experience, Chris joined the CPS in September 1991 as a Senior Crown Prosecutor to widen his experience to include review and preparation of casework.

In 2014, Chris took up a new role in Leeds managing the North and West Yorkshire Magistrates' Courts Unit and in May 2017 became Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for Yorkshire and Humberside, responsible for Magistrates' courts work across the Area.

Michael Quinn, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences, Complex Casework and Crown Advocacy)

Michael joined the CPS from private practice in 1993 as a Senior Crown Prosecutor.  He has since held senior management positions in both Crown and Magistrates’ teams, and became Head of the Complex Casework Unit in 2018.

In October 2022, Michael began a six-month temporary promotion to Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor responsible for the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, Complex Casework Unit and our team of Crown Advocates.

Jonathan Wettreich, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor (Magistrates’ Court team)

Jonathan Wettreich started his career as a Police Officer within the Metropolitan Police Service. He qualified as a Solicitor in 2009 after securing a training contract with Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service. He provided advice on questions of law practice, procedure and sentencing to District Judges, lay Justices and other court users in the areas of family, criminal, civil litigation, youth and magisterial law.

He joined the Crown Prosecution Service in London in May 2014 as a District Crown Prosecutor and was promoted in 2017 to a Senior District Crown Prosecutor. In early 2021 Jonathan was appointed as the temporary Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor in the East of England and looked after the Crown Court and RASSO teams.

In November 2021 he was appointed Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Yorkshire and Humberside Magistrates’ Court team.

Zoe Speake, Area Business Manager

Zoe studied law at university before joining the CPS in 1998 as an administrator and has worked in a number of operational roles including Paralegal Officer before becoming an Associate Prosecutor.

In 2016 she moved to a management role on the West Midlands Magistrates’ Court Unit. Progressing to Operational Business Manager of the Crown Court unit in 2017, she also spent time managing both the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences and Crown Court units before moving to the Head of Business Centre role in 2020.

In 2021 she became the Acting Area Business Manager for the West Midlands and in November that year joined Yorkshire and Humberside as Area Business Manager.

During her career in the CPS she has been involved in a number of digital implementations at the local level, including the move to our Case Management System (CMS), actively promoting and training on Modern CMS, and as one of the Digital Transformation Leads, she led the implementation for EGRESS in the West Midlands Area.

Our Magistrates’ Court Unit prosecutes a very wide range of offences. Generally they are those for which the maximum sentence does not exceed six months’ imprisonment (or 12 months if two or more offences are to be considered). The casework  includes crimes of  domestic violence, hate crime, assaults, criminal damage, minor public disorder incidents, all but the most serious traffic offences, possession of drugs, dangerous dog offences, offences of dishonesty and commercial burglaries.

The Crown Court Unit deals with very serious offences such as murder and manslaughter, robberies, serious assaults, fraud, the supply and trafficking of drugs, and the most serious road traffic offences, especially those that result in a death.

The Complex Casework Unit houses a team of highly experienced lawyers and caseworkers who handle our most serious and high profile cases. The bulk of their casework arises from serious and organised crime - particularly drugs importation and distribution; money laundering, organised crime, multi-defendant homicide, child sexual exploitation and serious fraud.

The Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit is a dedicated and specialist team which prosecutes cases such as rape, serious sexual offences and child abuse. The lawyers in this unit are all specially trained prosecutors who fully understand the sensitivities of prosecuting cases of this nature, and how difficult it can be for victims to come forward and if necessary, give evidence in court.

Regional Community Panels

We have three regional, thematic scrutiny panels, who inform our work on hate crime, domestic abuse and rape.  
Panel members are drawn from a wide cross-section of community groups including charities, inter-agency partnerships and local authorities.

The overall remit of each panel is to scrutinise CPS casework and decision-making to improve performance and ensure the delivery of our Core Quality Standards. Panel members will undertake the following activities in relation to their specialist area of casework:

  • Review and scrutinise non-active CPS case files;
  • Identify issues, common themes and trends in the decision-making process, looking in particular at the impact of CPS decision-making on diverse communities;
  • Make recommendations to the CPS to improve CPS performance and support to victims and witnesses;
  • Provide feedback to colleagues and communities on the results of the panel and actions taken by the CPS in response to the panels observations and recommendations.

The panels meet between two and three times a year.

  • Stop Hate UK - Support for people affected by hate crime. www.stophateuk.org 
  • Calderdale Council - Works in partnership to build safer, stronger and connected communities. www.calderdale.gov.uk 
  • Kirklees Council - Works in partnership with West Yorkshire Police to provide support and guidance to victims of hate crime and take positive action against perpetrators. www.kirklees.gov.uk/hatereporting
  • a:gender - The support network for staff in government departments / agencies who have changed or need to change permanently their perceived gender, or who identify as intersex. www.agender.org.uk 
  • Barnsley Community Safety Service - Responsible for addressing crime, anti-social behaviour and improving perceptions of public safety. www.barnsley.gov.uk/community-safety 
  • Bradford Hate Crime Alliance - Works jointly with strategic and operational partners to eliminate hate crime within Bradford Metropolitan District Council area. www.bradfordhatecrimealliance.org.uk
  • North East Lincolnshire Communities Together – A charity working with communities and schools in raising awareness of different traditions, beliefs, practices and customs, with a particular focus on engaging groups of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
  • North Lincolnshire Council - www.northlincs.gov.uk
  • Communication Specialist College - Specialises in meeting the needs of students who are deaf or hearing impaired and those with communication difficulties including Autism and Aspergers. www.deaf-trust.co.uk/college
  • Doncaster Council Community Safety Team – Works with the Safer Doncaster Partnership to improve communities across Doncaster, reduce crime and improve the quality of life for residents. www.doncaster.gov.uk
  • Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council - www.rotherham.gov.uk
  • Humber All Nations Alliance (HANA) – A charity promoting the wellbeing of black and minority ethnic communities throughout Hull and the Humber. www.hanaonline.co.uk
  • Changing Lives - Supports individuals and families in Doncaster to achieve their full potential and change their lives for the better. www.changing-lives.org.uk
  • Safer Leeds – Works in partnership to keep communities safe. www.leeds.gov.uk
  • Cloverleaf Advocacy Service - Provides high quality advocacy services to people with mental health needs, learning disabilities, older people, people with physical and sensory impairment, and carers. www.cloverleaf-advocacy.co.uk
  • Victim Support - The national charity for victims of crime in England and Wales. www.victimsupport.org
  • Bradford Equity Partnership - A charity set up and delivered by LGBT people in Bradford and the surrounding areas. www.equitypartnership.org.uk
  • Leeds City Council Domestic Violence Team - A project aimed at improving services for women who are experiencing domestic violence. www.leeds.gov.uk
  • Victim Support - The national charity for victims of crime in England and Wales. www.victimsupport.org
  • Women’s Aid North East Lincolnshire - a registered charity that provides many services to victims and survivors of domestic abuse. www.womensaidnel.org
  • Domestic Violence and Abuse Partnership East Riding - Provides information or advice and support in a confidential setting. www.eastriding.gov.uk
  • Kirklees Council Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding Partnerships – Multi-agency partnerships promoting the safeguarding agenda. www.kirklees.gov.uk
  • Pennine Domestic Violence Group - A key provider of domestic abuse support services in Kirklees. www.pdvg.org
  • Wakefield Council - Provides information on local services. www.wakefield.gov.uk
  • VIDA Sheffield - Delivers specialist domestic and sexual abuse services and training, and engages with partners to work towards an end to domestic abuse, and violence against women and girls. www.vidasheffield.org.uk
  • Apna Haq - Support for women facing domestic violence from Black, Minority Ethnic and Refugee backgrounds. www.apnahaq.org.uk
  • Doncaster Council Community Safety Team - Works with the Safer Doncaster Partnership to improve communities across Doncaster, reduce crime and improve the quality of life for residents. www.doncaster.gov.uk
  • Calderdale Council - Works in partnership to build safer, stronger and connected communities. www.calderdale.gov.uk
  • Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS) – A specialist charity supporting anyone experiencing or affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence. www.idas.org.uk
  • Preston Road Women's Centre - Provides information, support and advice to women in Hull. www.purplehouse.co.uk
  • The Blue Door - A specialist service providing support to anyone that has experienced domestic abuse and sexual violence in North and North East Lincolnshire and those who have experienced rape and serious sexual offences in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire through a variety of advocacy, outreach workers, groups and programmes. www.thebluedoor.org
  • Rotherham RISE - Provides help and support for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual exploitation. www.rotherhamrise.org.uk
  • Staying Put - Offers gender sensitive services to increase the safety of people who experience domestic violence/abuse. www.stayingput.uk.net
  • Bradford Equity Partnership - A charity set up and delivered by LGBT people in Bradford and the surrounding areas. www.equitypartnership.org.uk
  • Calderdale Domestic Abuse Hub – A partnership engaging with victims of domestic abuse. www.calderdale.gov.uk
  • Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council - www.rotherham.gov.uk
  • Support After Rape & Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) - A feminist organisation supporting women and girls who have been affected by sexual violence at any time in their lives. www.supportafterrapeleeds.org.uk
  • Victim Support - The national charity for victims of crime in England and Wales. www.victimsupport.org
  • Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre - A specialist women only service offering free and confidential counselling and support to empower women and girls who have experienced rape or sexual abuse at any times in their lives. www.sheffieldrapecrisis.org.uk
  • Bradford Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse Survivors Service - A registered charity and the national umbrella organisation for Rape Crisis Centres across the country. www.rapecrisis.org.uk 
  • Survive - Information and advice about rape. www.survive-northyorks.org.uk
  • Barnsley Rape Crisis - a registered charity, which supports people whose lives have been affected by sexual violence. www.bsarch.org
  • Hull Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse Service - provides crisis and long term specialised counselling, support and independent advocacy for all women and girls of all ages who have experienced any form of sexual violence both recently and/or in the past. www.rapecrisis.org.uk
  • Access Committee for Leeds – Provides information and support for the disabled community of Leeds. www.accesscommitteeforleeds.org
  • Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS) - A specialist charity supporting anyone experiencing or affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence. www.idas.org.uk
  • The Hazlehurst Centre - Offers free support and practical help to anyone in West Yorkshire who has experienced sexual abuse. www.hazlehurstcentre.org
  • The Blue Door - A specialist service providing support to anyone that has experienced domestic abuse and sexual violence in North and North East Lincolnshire and those who have experienced rape and serious sexual offences in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire through a variety of advocacy, outreach workers, groups and programmes. www.thebluedoor.org
  • Child Sexual Abuse Assessment Centre - Provides a service for children and young people from 0-16 years of age who have disclosed sexual abuse or assault or where it is suspected that it may have happened. www.yorkhospitals.nhs.uk
  • Basis Yorkshire – Empowers women and girls to be safe and make positive choices. www.basisyorkshire.org.uk
  • Doncaster Rape & Sexual Abuse Counselling Service - An independent charity helping victims of sexual violence. www.drasacs.org.uk
  • Rotherham RISE - Provides help and support for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual exploitation. www.rotherhamrise.org.uk
  • Doncaster Council Community Safety Team - Works with the Safer Doncaster Partnership to improve communities across Doncaster, reduce crime and improve the quality of life for residents. www.doncaster.gov.uk

Want to keep up with our work in Yorkshire and Humberside?

Each month, CPS Yorkshire and Humberside publishes an e-newsletter with important updates on our work. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, please subscribe below.

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Victims and Witnesses

Witness Care Units

Witness Care Units (WCUs) provide practical help and moral support to victims and witnesses.

The Units provide:

  • Witness Care Officers who act as a single point of contact for a victim or witness throughout the life of a case from the point of charge through any court proceedings that may follow. They will help individuals through the criminal justice process and coordinate support and services.
  • A full 'needs assessment' to identify exactly what help victims and witnesses require to ensure they can attend court. This could include practical difficulties such as provision of child care, transport, help with language difficulties, medical problems and areas of concern, including possible intimidation
  • Continuous review of victim and witness needs throughout the case by the CPS and police
  • Greater communication and contact with witnesses about cases including the case outcome or trial result. 

Victims' Right to Review

The VRR scheme makes it easier for victims to seek a review of a CPS decision not to bring charges or to terminate proceedings.

If you are a victim seeking to exercise your right to request a review of a CPS decision not to bring charges, discontinue proceedings or offer no evidence in a case please click here.

Yorkshire & Humberside contact point for Victims' Right to Review enquiries:

Email: YH.VRRComplaints@cps.gov.uk 

Please note that the scheme applies only in relation to qualifying decisions made on or after 5 June 2013.

Victims' Right to Review Scheme

Victim Personal Statements

What are they?

Victim Personal Statements are optional written statements which give the victim an opportunity to say how they have been affected by the crime: physically, emotionally or financially.

They may wish to talk about their fear of intimidation, concerns about bail and whether they would like help from a support agency.

Victim Personal Statements provide additional information to that given by the victim in their statement to the police.

Who can make a Victim Personal Statement?

Anyone who has been a victim of crime and who has made a statement to police has the opportunity to give a Victim Personal Statement.

What happens once a Victim Personal Statement has been taken?

The Victim Personal Statement becomes part of the case papers and is seen by the Police, defence lawyers, magistrates and judges at court.

What does the CPS do with the Victim Personal Statement?

We take into account what the victim says when we make decisions on the case and ensure that, where appropriate, the court is aware of the contents of the statement so this can be considered, for example, in sentencing.

Special Measures

In some cases people require special measures to be taken to help them give evidence. Special Measures can sometimes be available to victims and witnesses that are vulnerable or intimidated.

The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime defines vulnerable victims as those under 17 years of age or those with a physical or mental disability or disorder, including learning difficulties, whose quality of evidence is likely to be reduced if the special measures are not taken.  The victims of domestic violence and the family of murder and manslaughter victims are also classed as vulnerable.

Intimidated victims also qualify for special measures and these are defined as people whose evidence will be hindered by being in fear of the defendant or who are in distress about giving evidence.

Contact us

Leeds office
Jefferson House, 27 Park Place, Leeds, LS1 2SZ
DX 26435 Leeds Park Square
Telephone: 0113 290 2700

Sheffield office
Greenfield House, 32 Scotland Street, Sheffield, S3 7DQ
DX 711830 Sheffield 18
Telephone: 0114 229 8600

Hull office
Earle House, Colonial Street, Hull, HU2 8JN
DX 26701 Hull 4
Telephone: 01482 621000

News Centre

Please note these contact details are for journalists’ use only

For media enquiries relating to Yorkshire and Humberside, please contact

Area Communications Manager
Elizabeth Ogborn
Telephone: 0113 341 4669

If you are a member of the national media, please call the CPS Press Office on 020 3357 0906 or email cps.pressoffice@cps.gov.uk

Out of hours: 020 3357 0913 for emergency media queries only.

Members of the public

For further information, contact:

Inclusion and Community Engagement Manager for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside:

Jo Hutchinson
Email: Y&H.communityengagement@cps.gov.uk

N.B: These addresses are for community engagement enquiries only. For all case enquiries, see below.

Contact information for the defence and for unrepresented defendants

The following email addresses are for the sole use of defence firms that are on the Criminal Justice Secure email system (CJSM).

Please note: if you send an email from any account other than a CJSM account we will not be able to reply with any protected information regarding a case.

YH.correspondencecrown@cps.gov.uk.cjsm.net for all Crown Court correspondence

YandH.correspondencemags@cps.gov.uk.cjsm.net for all Magistrates' Court correspondence

YH.IDPCrequest@cps.gov.uk.cjsm.net for all IDPC Requests

Unrepresented defendants should use the following email addresses:

YH.correspondencecrown@cps.gov.uk for all Crown Court correspondence

YandH.correspondencemags@cps.gov.uk for all Magistrates' Court correspondence

YH.IDPCrequest@cps.gov.uk for all IDPC Requests

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