Stephen Martin Stephens (26 June 1939 – 15 April 2024) was a British judge. He was called to Bar in 1963 and took Silk in 1982. He was appointed a Recorder in 1979, as a Circuit Judge in 1986 and then appointed a Judge of the

Central Criminal Court A Central Criminal Court refers to major legal court responsible for trying crimes within a given jurisdiction. Such courts include: *The name by which the Crown Court is known when it sits in the City of London *Central Criminal Court of England ...

in 1999. He was a former member of the

Parole Board of England and Wales The Parole Board for England and Wales () was established in 1968 under the Criminal Justice Act 1967. It became an independent executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) on 1 July 1996 under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The ...

. Stephens died on 15 April 2024, at the age of 84.

Cases

In January 2009 Stephens presided over the trial of James Hopkins accused of murdering Ms Browne, a transsexual prostitute based in Marylebone. Hopkins was found guilty of the murder of Browne who had a number of celebrities among her clients. Prosecuting Hopkins, barrister for the prosecution commented: "There is some evidence that Ms Browne did have some clients who were in the public eye." The court heard that Hopkins' palm prints were found on the Sun and another publication in a plastic bag on the floor. Browne lived in a flat at 6b Gosfield Street, Marylebone, London, and advertised for clients in phone kiosks and newspapers including the Sunday Sport. Police launched a murder inquiry after Browne's body was found in her central London flat in W1 on 28 February 1997.

References

1939 births 2024 deaths English barristers Members of Gray's Inn Lawyers from London 20th-century English judges 21st-century English judges International criminal law scholars {{UK-law-bio-stub

Cases

See also

References