Preston Crown Court
The main entrance to the building
Preston Crown Court is located in Preston city centre
Preston Crown Court
Alternative namesPreston Combined Court Centre
General information
AddressThe Law Courts, Openshaw Place, Ring Way
Town or cityPreston
CountryEngland
Coordinates53°45′45″N 2°41′56″W / 53.7624°N 2.6989°W / 53.7624; -2.6989
Opened1996; 27 years ago (1996)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Alistair Sutherland
Architecture firmAustin-Smith:Lord
Website
courttribunalfinder.service.gov.uk/courts/preston-combined-court-centre

Preston Crown Court, or more properly the Crown Court at Preston, is a criminal court on the Ring Way in Preston, Lancashire, England. The court is based on two sites in the city; Preston Combined Court Centre on Ringway and Sessions House on Lancaster Road.[1] As a first tier court centre, the court deals with all types of cases that are heard in the Crown Court as well as being a trial centre for civil High Court cases; it is also a venue for the County Court where smaller civil cases and family cases are dealt with.[1]

History

Until the mid-1980s, all Crown Court cases were heard at the Sessions House on Lancaster Road. However, as the number of court cases in Preston grew, it became necessary to commission a more substantial courthouse for both criminal and civil matters. The site selected by the Lord Chancellor's Department was occupied by the Saul Street Public Baths which had been built in 1936.[2]

The current combined court centre building was designed by Alistair Sutherland of architects Austin-Smith:Lord, built in red brick and glass and was opened in 1996.[3] The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage of 15 bays facing onto Ringway, curving round towards Saul Street and, connected by a glass entrance section, meeting another section of five bays also facing onto Ringway but set back from the road. The glass entrance section, which featured columns supporting a canopy and a brick drum-shaped structure, led to a full-height atrium. Internally, the building was equipped with ten courtrooms.[4]

Notable cases heard in the courthouse have included the trial and conviction, in February 2013, of Dale Cregan for the murders of Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone[5] the trial and conviction, in May 2014, of Stuart Hall for indecent assault[6] and the trial and conviction, in August 2021, of seven men for the murder of Aya Hachem.[7][8]

Cases have also included the trials and subsequent acquittals of William Roache over rape allegations in January 2014,[9] of Nigel Evans over sexual assault allegations in April 2014[10] and of Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield, who was match commander at the time of the Hillsborough disaster, over allegations of gross negligence manslaughter in November 2019.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ a b "Court Finder:Preston Combined Court Centre". HMCTS. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Fancy a dip: 17 photos of Preston's Saul Street Baths through the years to bring back forgotten memories". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  3. ^ Mulcahy, Linda; Rowden, Emma (2019). The Democratic Courthouse: A Modern History of Design, Due Process and Dignity. Taylor and Francis. ISBN 978-0429558689.
  4. ^ "Preston Crown Court". Austin-Smith:Lord. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014.
  5. ^ "The most notorious cases to be heard at Preston Crown Court". Lancashire Live. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Stuart Hall found guilty of indecent assault but cleared of rape". The Guardian. 16 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Aya Hachem: Men jailed for student's murder". BBC. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Seven men jailed for life after Blackburn student killed in botched hit". The Guardian. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Coronation Street star William Roache appears in court over rape allegations". BBC. 14 May 2013.
  10. ^ "Nigel Evans found not guilty in Preston rape and sex assault trial". The Independent. 10 April 2014.
  11. ^ "Hillsborough police chief David Duckenfield cleared of manslaughter". BBC News. 28 November 2019.
  12. ^ Conn, David (28 November 2019). "How David Duckenfield's trial left Hillsborough families distraught again". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
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