Warrington pupils take part in mock trial competition at Police Museum

Year six students from Statham, Woolston, Barrow Hall and Oughtrington primary schools visited the former courtroom at the Cheshire Museum of Policing on Thursday 20 June for a day of fictional court proceedings after learning about historical crime and punishment in their history lessons.

The children from the four schools attended the court at the museum after learning about historical crime and punishment in their history lessons.

Greeted by Warrington’s Area Commander Superintendent Adam Ross and Chief Superintendent Jon Betts, the officers gave the children an overview of their roles within the force and stressed the importance of police work in ensuring community safety.

Chief Superintendent Betts told the students that the Constabulary has 2295 hard-working officers officers serving the county, he said:

“That’s almost two and a half thousand people looking after you, whether you need it or not. Cheshire is one of the safest places in the country."

During their day at the courts, the pupils took on the roles of magistrates, defence and prosecution lawyers, court officers and witnesses with the utmost dedication.

Each school were given the opportunity to play either the defence or prosecution role in a formatted and scripted trial of two defendants involved in alleged harassment. There was also a court artist and court reporter role, and pupils were marked on their performance and understanding of the role.

Paula Jones, Magistrate and event organiser, said:

“We are delighted to use the old magistrates’ courts above the Cheshire Museum of Policing, which adds a sense of reality to the competition, so we’re most grateful to the Museum for accommodating us, and also for their enthusiasm and support to host the competition here.

“For the past 25 years, we have given presentations across the county about our work in court and explaining how local justice is delivered, the judicial process of crime and implications of a criminal record and we’re always pleased to hear how much people have learned from our presentations, no matter their age and life experience.”

Cheshire's Policing Museum is an independent charity run by volunteers in co-operation with Cheshire Constabulary to allow members of the public the chance to explore the history of policing within the region.

Found on Arpley Street, Warrington, the museum is home to a large collection of policing artefacts; including handcuffs and shackles, murder weapons and police equipment that has been preserved from local police stations across the Constabulary.

For more information about the museum you can visit the Museum of Policing website or call 01606 365803.