Until the early 1990s, criminal court hearings were held in the Town Hall in Albion Square, Hanley.

[1][2] However, as the number of court cases in the Stoke-on-Trent area grew, it became necessary to commission a more modern courthouse.

The central section of eight bays, which was slightly projected forward, featured a portico formed by four columns supporting a flat canopy.

On the first floor, above the canopy, there were three round headed windows surmounted by a pediment containing a Royal coat of arms.

[7] Notable cases included the trial and conviction of the Irish gangster, Thomas Kavanagh, in September 2019, on firearms charges,[8][9][10] and the trial and conviction of Jordan Birch, in November 2019, on a charge of dangerous driving in connection with the death of the rapper, Cadet.