Coventry Combined Court Centre

Coventry Combined Court Centre
Coventry Combined Court Centre
Location	Much Park Street, Coventry
Coordinates	52°24′21″N1°30′22″W / 52.4057°N 1.5062°W / 52.4057; -1.5062 Coordinates: 52°24′21″N1°30′22″W / 52.4057°N 1.5062°W / 52.4057; -1.5062
Built	1988
Architect	John Madin Design Group
Architectural style(s)	Modernist style
Shown in the West Midlands

The Coventry Combined Court Centre is a Crown Court venue, which deals with criminal cases, as well as a County Court venue, which deals with civil cases, in Much Park Street, Coventry, England.

History

Until the late 1980s, the main venue for criminal court hearings in Coventry was the aging County Hall in Cuckoo Street. ^[1] However, as the number of court cases in Coventry grew, it became necessary to commission a courthouse with dedicated facilities for both Crown Court hearings, which require courtrooms suitable for trial by jury, and for County Court hearings. ^[2] The site selected by the Lord Chancellor's Department had been occupied by the former works of the Standard Motor Company. ^{[3] [4]}

The new building was designed by the John Madin Design Group in the Modernist style, built in concrete and glass at a cost of £5.3 million, ^[5] and was completed in 1988. ^[6] The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage of 17 bays facing north towards Earl Street. The central section of three bays was formed by three full height glass openings, approached by a long slope and intended to give access to a large atrium. A Royal coat of arms was installed above the central opening at first floor level. The five bays to the left and the nine bays to the right were fenestrated with tall casement windows on two floors. Internally, the building was laid out to accommodate six courtrooms. ^[7]

A sculpture entitled "Basilica", which was designed by Paul De Monchaux and made in Purbeck and Portland limestone, and Frankland Grey Granite, and was placed outside the complex in 1991. ^{[8] [9]}

Notable cases have included the trial of Emma Tustin and Thomas Hughes, in December 2021, for the murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Tustin was convicted of murder ^[10] and Hughes was convicted of manslaughter. ^[11] They have also included the trial and conviction of Laura Heath, in April 2022, for the manslaughter of her asthmatic son, Hakeem Hussein. Tustin had sometimes used Hakeem's asthma inhalers as crack pipes. ^{[12] [13]}

References

1. "Order! Bar opens in Coventry's old court house and jail". Coventry Telegraph. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
2. "Assizes and Quarter Sessions". House of Commons. 7 May 1970. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
3. "Ordnance Survey Map". 1914. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
4. "Standard Factories". The Standard Motor Club. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
5. "Capital Building Programme". Hansard. 26 January 1996. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
6. Mulcahy, Linda; Rowden, Emma (2019). The Democratic Courthouse: A Modern History of Design, Due Process and Dignity. Taylor and Francis. ISBN   978-0429558689.
7. "Coventry". Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
8. "Basilica". Public Monuments and Sculpture Association. Archived from the original on 9 April 2015.
9. ""Basilica" by Paul De Monchaux". The Coventry Society. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
10. "UK launches major review into murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes". The Irish Times. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
11. Keane, Tammy Hughes, Daniel (3 December 2021). "'Wicked' stepmum jailed for 29 years for murdering Arthur Labinjo-Hughes". www.standard.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
12. "Hakeem Hussain: The needless death of a neglected boy". BBC News. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
13. "Laura Heath jailed for 20 years for manslaughter of son Hakeem Hussain, seven". Birmingham Live. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2023.

External links

• Court information