Martin Beddoe

Martin William Denton Beddoe (born 7 July 1955) is a British judge[1] known for having presided over many high-profile criminal cases.

He was born in Abyad, Egypt,[1] where his father, World War II veteran Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Beddoe[6] was serving at the time of his birth.

[7] His father had a very distinguished military career, and before his posting to Egypt, he was an infantry battalion commanding officer in the Welsh Regiment during the Second World War.

The court heard that Smith's successful Army career was halted prematurely due to a back injury, and he had struggled to come to terms with it.

In March 2005, as a result of his post-traumatic stress disorder, Smith had carried out a raid of a petrol station in Northampton at knife-point, but later dropped £45 in cash as the owner and several villagers gave chase.

[12] In 2017, Judge Beddoe presided over the case of Ricardo McFarlane, 30-year-old Muslim convert charged with anti-social behaviour after preaching Sharia law in Oxford Street and two other London venues,[23] who declined to stand up in court on religious grounds.

[24] McFarlane allegedly breached the terms of an antisocial behaviour order[25] barring him from addressing members of the public to promote sharia law.