China spying case: dream job turns into nightmare for DPP Stephen Parkinson

After years of openly coveting role as most senior prosecutor in England and Wales, Parkinson now finds himself in firing line over collapsed case

Stephen Parkinson dreamed of being the most senior prosecutor in England and Wales before he even qualified as a barrister, but now finds himself in a situation more akin to a nightmare.

As the director of public prosecutions (DPP), Parkinson is facing questions over why he felt he could not proceed with the trial of two men accused of spying for China. He said the case was dropped because prosecutors had tried and failed to obtain a witness statement from the government stating that China posed a current threat to the national security of the UK".