The Caernarfon Criminal Justice Centre is a Crown Court venue, which deals with criminal cases, in Llanberis Road, Caernarfon, Wales.
| Caernarfon Criminal Justice Centre | |
|---|---|
 Caernarfon Criminal Justice Centre | |
| Location | Llanberis Road, Caernarfon |
| Coordinates | 53°08′25″N 4°15′51″W / 53.1403°N 4.2643°W |
| Built | 2009 |
| Architect | Austin-Smith:Lord |
| Architectural style(s) | Modernist style |
  Shown in Gwynedd | |
History
editUntil the early 21st century, criminal court hearings in Caernarfon were held in the County Hall at Castle Ditch.[1] However, as the number of court cases in Caernarfon grew, it became necessary to commission a more modern courthouse for criminal matters: the site selected in Llanberis Road had been occupied by Segontium School, which had dated from 1912 but which had closed in 2005.[2][3][4]
Work on the new building started in May 2007, when the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, cut the first sod.[5][6] It was designed by Austin-Smith:Lord in the Modernist style,[7][8] built by Balfour Beatty in dark blue and red brick at a cost of £12 million and was completed in May 2009.[9][10]
The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage facing onto Llanberis Road. The plan involved two wings, one intended for the offices and the other for the courtrooms.[11] The left hand section was built in dark blue brick and was fenestrated with single, bi-partite and tri-partite casement windows on two floors, while the right hand section, which was projected forward, was built in red brick and featured a grey stone-clad portico on the left with Royal coat of arms at first floor level above, and a large expanse of glazing on the right. Internally, the building was laid out to accommodate four courtrooms.[12] The design was commended in the BREEAM Awards for Wales in 2009.[13]
The building was subsequently sold to London & Capital Group and leased back from that company under a private developer scheme initiative.[14]
Notable cases included the trial and conviction of Colin Milburn, in November 2022, for the murder of his long-term partner, Buddug Jones.[15][16]
References
edit- ^ Cadw. "County Hall, Caernarfon (3828)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "End of an era as historic Caernarfon Crown Court hears last cases". Daily Post. 2 May 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "New Courts at Caernarfon". www.caernarfononline.co.uk. 13 July 2006. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
- ^ Hughes, T. Meirion. "Segonyium School". Caernarfon Memory Lane. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Justice served in May". Daily Post. 29 January 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Welsh only juries likely". Daily Post. 24 March 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ Mulcahy, Linda; Rowden, Emma (2019). The Democratic Courthouse: A Modern History of Design, Due Process and Dignity. Taylor and Francis. ISBN 978-0429558689.
- ^ "Awards" (PDF). Austin-Smith:Lord. p. 3. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Caernarfon Criminal Justice Centre". Curtins. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "End of an era as historic Caernarfon Crown Court hears last cases". 2 May 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ Wallsgrove, Jon (2019). The Architecture of Law Courts. Paragon Publishing. p. 159. ISBN 978-1782227021.
- ^ "Caernarfon Criminal Justice Centre". Daily Post. City Heart. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "BREEAM Awards for Wales in 2009". BRE Global Limited. p. 7. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Balfour Kilpatrick wins court project in Wales". Modern Building Services. 9 March 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Buddug Jones murder: Partner Colin Milburn found guilty". BBC News. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Colin Milburn jailed for life for murdering partner Buddug Jones". Daily Post. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.