Lewes Crown Court
Lewes Crown Court in 2022
Location	Lewes , East Sussex
Coordinates	50°52′23″N 0°00′35″E  /  50.8730°N 0.0096°E  / 50.8730; 0.0096
Built	1812
Architect	John Johnson
Architectural style(s)	Classical style
Listed Building ? Grade II*
Designated	25 February 1952
Reference no.	1043780
Location of Lewes Crown Court in East Sussex

Lewes Crown Court is a Crown Court venue in Lewes High Street, Lewes , East Sussex , England. It forms part of the Lewes Combined Court Centre which it shares with Lewes County Court . The building, which was known as the "County Hall" from an early stage, was also the headquarters of East Sussex County Council from 1889 to 1938: it is a Grade II* listed building . ^[1]

History [ edit ]

The building, which was designed by John Johnson in the classical style , was built in Portland stone between 1808 and 1812. ^[1] The design for the building involved a symmetrical main frontage of five bays facing the High Street; the central section of three bays featured a recess with six Doric order columns supporting the upper floors; there were casement windows on the first floor and flanking wings which slightly projected forwards. ^[1] Above the first floor windows were reliefs which depicted Wisdom , Justice and Mercy . ^[1] The building was extended by two bays to the east in a similar style later in the 19th century. ^[1] The building was known as "County Hall" from an early stage. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The structure was originally used as a facility for dispensing justice but, following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888 , which established county councils in every county, it also became the meeting place of East Sussex County Council . ^[4] The county council moved Pelham House in 1938, from when the building in Lewes High Street was used solely for accommodating the assize courts. ^[5] The county council then moved on from Pelham House to St Anne's Crescent in Lewes in 1968. ^[5] Following the implementation of the Courts Act 1971 , the former assizes court was re-designated Lewes Crown Court. ^[6]

Cases [ edit ]

Notable cases held at Lewes Assizes, later Lewes Crown Court, include:

• 1920: The " Crumbles Murder case " in which Jack Field and William Thomas were convicted of the murder of Irene Munro ^{[7] [8] [9]}
• 1930: The trial of Sidney Harry Fox for the murder of his mother for insurance money ^[10]
• 1934: The acquittal of Tony Mancini for the "Brighton Trunk Murder" of Violet Kaye, to which he later confessed ^[11]
• 1949: John Haigh , the "acid bath murderer" ^[12]
• 1956: John Bodkin Adams , previously acquitted of murder at the Old Bailey , was tried at Lewes for collateral offences ^[13]
• 1998: Trial of Sion Jenkins for the murder of Billie-Jo Jenkins (later acquitted) ^[14]
• 2001: Roy Whiting was tried and convicted of the murder of Sarah Payne ^[15]
• 2004: Graham Coutts was tried and convicted of the murder of schoolteacher Jane Longhurst ^[16]
• 2004: Andrew Wragg was acquitted of murdering his son and sentenced to two years for manslaughter ^[17]
• 2009: Martin and Nathan Winter, and their company Alpha Fireworks Ltd, were found guilty of the manslaughter of two East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service firefighters in the 2006 Marlie Farm Fireworks Explosion ^[18]
• 2010: Bridget Kathleen Gilderdale was acquitted of the attempted murder of her daughter, Lynn Gilderdale (an ME sufferer) ^[19]

References [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]

• Court information