Luton Crown Court is a

Crown Court The Crown Court is the court of first instance of England and Wales responsible for hearing all Indictable offence, indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals lied to it by the Magistrates' court, magistrates' court ...

venue, which deals with criminal cases, in George Street, Luton, England.

History

For much of the 20th century, the main venue for serious criminal court hearings in Bedfordshire was the Shire Hall in Bedford. However, as the number of court cases in Luton grew, it became necessary to commission a new criminal courthouse in Luton itself. The site selected by the Lord Chancellor's Department was on "Market Hill", and had been occupied by two shops: No. 7 George Street had been occupied by a betting shop, and No. 9 George Street had been occupied by a wine shop. The new building was designed by the

Property Services Agency The Property Services Agency (PSA) was an agency of the United Kingdom government, in existence from 1972 to 1993. Its role was to “provide, manage, maintain, and furnish the property used by the government, including defence establishments, offi ...

in the

Modernist style Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that form ...

, built in buff brick at a cost of £10 million, and was completed in 1991. It was officially opened in April 1992. The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage facing onto George Street. The left hand section was fenestrated by five

casement window A casement window is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges at the side. They are used singly or in pairs within a common frame, in which case they are hinged on the outside. Casement windows are often held open using a cas ...

s on the ground floor, by three casement windows on the first floor and by a continuous row of windows at attic level. The central bay featured a recessed opening containing a doorway at ground level, a wall faced in stone and bearing a Royal coat of arms on the first floor and a row of windows at attic level. The right hand section was formed by a three-storey circular tower with casement windows on each floor and a flat roof. Internally, the building was laid out to accommodate eight courtrooms. Notable cases have included the trial and conviction of

Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique," he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, Western, and war ...

, in February 2000, for criminal damage and assault, and the trial and conviction of the boxer, Lukasz Stachura, for the murder of Kamil Leszczynski.

References

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External links

Court information
Buildings and structures in Luton Crown Court buildings Government buildings completed in 1991 Court buildings in England