Bournemouth Combined Court Centre

The Bournemouth Combined Court Centre, also known as Bournemouth Courts of Justice, is a Crown Court venue, which deals with criminal cases, as well as a County Court venue, which deals with civil cases, in Deansleigh Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, England.

Bournemouth Combined Court Centre
Bournemouth Combined Court Centre
LocationDeansleigh Road, Bournemouth
Coordinates50.7480°N 1.8164°W / 50.7480; -1.8164
Built1996
ArchitectNapper Collerton
Architectural style(s)Post-modernist style
Bournemouth Combined Court Centre is located in Dorset
Bournemouth Combined Court Centre
Shown in Dorset

History
The Stafford Street Law Courts

Until the mid-1990s, all criminal court hearings in Bournemouth were held at the Law Courts in Stafford Road, which were completed in 1914.[1][2] However, as the number of court cases in Bournemouth grew, it became necessary to commission a more modern courthouse for criminal matters: the site selected by the Lord Chancellor's Department was occupied by open land to the east of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital which was completed in 1989.[3][4]

The new building was designed by Napper Collerton in the Post-modernist style, built by John Laing Construction in yellow brick and glass and was completed in 1996.[5][6] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of 15 bays facing south west towards Castle Lane East. The central bay featured a semi-circular portico, which was projected forward and contained a curved stone-clad entrance at its centre. There was a doorway on the ground floor and a Royal coat of arms at first floor level. The wings of seven bays each were faced in yellow brick and fenestrated by casement windows on the ground floor. There were continuous rows of glass panes on the first floor. The bays were separated by stone columns supporting a ridged roof which leant forwards. Internally, the building was laid out to accommodate nine courtrooms.[7]

Following the closure of Dorchester Crown Court in September 2016, all cases that would have been heard in Dorchester were also referred to Bournemouth Crown Court.[8] The old courts in Stafford Road in Bournemouth closed completely after the Coroner's Court moved to Bournemouth Town Hall, also in September 2016.[9]

Notable cases heard at the crown court include the trial and conviction of the diver, Brian Phelps, in January 2008, for rape, attempted rape and 19 indecent assaults on two girls.[10][11][12] They also include the trial and conviction, in June 2019, of the former football coach, Bob Higgins, on charges relating to the United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal.[13][14][15]

References
  1. "Law Courts and Courtrooms 2: Civil and Coroner's Courts". Historic England. 1 August 2016. p. 8. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  2. Historic England. "The County Court (1108776)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  3. "21 Achievements over 21 years" (PDF). Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  4. "Ordnance Survey Map". 1970. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  5. "Bournemouth Law Courts". Napper. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  6. "The Law Courts". Sheffielder.net. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  7. "Bournemouth". Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. "End of an era as Dorchester Crown Court sits for the final time". Dorset Echo. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  9. "Bournemouth court and police buildings to become academy school". BBC. 3 August 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  10. "Olympic diver admits sex attacks". BBC. 15 April 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  11. "Olympic diver jailed for attacks". BBC. 15 April 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  12. "Olympian faces new indecency charges". Bournemouth Echo. 6 February 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  13. "Football coach Bob Higgins jailed for 24 years for abusing trainees". BBC News. BBC. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  14. "Football coach Bob Higgins found guilty of 45 charges of indecent assault against teenage boys". Bournemouth Echo. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  15. "Football coach Bob Higgins guilty of 45 counts of indecent assault". The Guardian. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
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