SIX years ago, Didcot Magistrates’ Court was given a £1.4m facelift.

Yesterday, following a busy morning at the 54-year-old court, security guards locked the doors for the last time.

The Court Service is planning to save more than £15m a year by closing 93 magistrates’ courts and 49 county courts.

The decision to shut the court in Mereland Road came despite a warning from Margaret Reed, head of legal services at South Oxfordshire District Council, that it would lead to an increase in defendants failing to turn up to court.

Ann Dendy, chairman of the Southern Oxfordshire Bench of Magistrates, sat in court one on the final day with fellow magistrates Paul Attenborrow and Elizabeth Harrison.

She said: “There has been a lot of black humour, with people joking that all the defendants will get absolute discharges because it’s the last day, but of course they are being dealt with in the normal way.

“I have been a magistrate for 19 years and this is a sad day for Didcot, because this the town has been designated a growth area and the building had more than £1m spent on it six years ago.

“Every agency in the judicial system is suffering severe cuts and the way that is being dealt with is through centralisation.

“Defendants who come to this court will now go to Oxford or Banbury. There are good links between Oxford and Didcot but people in rural areas will find it difficult.”

Courts Service spokesman Zoe Campbell said: “People who are summoned to court should attend – it is a legal obligation and additional distance of travel is no excuse.

“For those whose journey to court would be over one hour or have particular transport difficulties, the court will try to list those cases at a time to accommodate this.”

Former barrister Jeremy Burnett Rae was at the court yesterday to protest over the closure, on behalf of an organisation he is setting up called Oxfordshire Community Conservation and Rural Trusts.

Mr Burnett Rae, from South Moreton, near Didcot, said the decision represented a “sad denial of justice”, and added: “For some people the magistrates court is a constant local reminder of the reasons to behave on a Saturday night.

“Others say it’s just the best free theatre you could wish for.

“For the magistrates, it is an unpaid service to the public, and sometimes a very thankless public service to do justice under the law.”

Sarah Mackay, a solicitor working for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “It’s sad to see this court close. Oxford is a busy court already and I suspect it will become even busier.”

Proceedings were interrupted when an irate defendant in custody threw his lunch – chicken tikka masala – over the walls of his cell.

After 24 cases in two courts, magistrates, solicitors and court staff attended a farewell party.

Some of the last cases heard at Didcot Magistrates’ Court were:

  • David Taylor, 50, of Lune Close, Didcot, pleaded guilty to two charges of voyeurism on October 16 last year. The case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports and he was released on bail until August 11, when he will appear before Oxford magistrates.
  • Andrea Ferdinands, 22, of Alfredston Place, Wantage, denied theft and fraud following the theft of a Sainsbury’s Nectar card on April 4. She was bailed until September 15 to appear before Oxford magistrates.
  • A warrant was issued for the arrest of David Ebsworth, 27, of Ramsons Way, Abingdon, after he failed to appear at the court. He is charged with possessing cannabis in Wantage on May 17.
  • Alun Bunney, 36, of Court Hill, Wantage, pleaded not guilty to harassment without violence between March 26 and May 10. He is alleged to have sent unwanted text messages, letters and other messages to Katharine Russell.
  • The last case to be heard was that of Gary Brown, 29, of The Hyde, Abingdon. He admitted two charges of common assault and one charge of criminal damage in Abingdon on May 27 and June 6. Brown was bailed until July 9 when he will be sentenced in Oxford.