Judge is sacked for hitting wife

James Allen QC was removed from his position as a deputy high court judge after being given a 12-month supervision order by District Judge Daphne Wickham at Bradford Magistrates’ Court in June.

A spokeswoman for the Office for Judicial Complaints said: “The Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice are of the view that his actions had brought the judiciary into disrepute and have removed Judge Allen from his judicial positions.”

During a trial which ended earlier in June, Allen, 61, claimed that his wife, Melanie, inflicted injuries on her own face during the incident at their house in Woolley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, on February 20 last year.

Mrs Allen, 44, backed up her husband’s story when she gave evidence in court. She also said she had self-harmed in the past.

But Mrs Wickham said she did not believe the couple’s account and found Allen guilty of common assault.

His wife was not in court, although the district judge was told they are still together.

Mrs Wickham also ordered Allen to pay £5,000 towards the £5,421 cost of the prosecution.

The court heard that most of this was spent on expert medical opinion.

The trial, which was spread over a number of days starting last year, heard that the argument between the Allens started after Allen had been away for a week and then spent the Saturday running his family around.

He returned to the family home having not eaten, to find his wife was preoccupied by the couple’s cleaner, who had come round to talk to Mrs Allen about various problems she was having.

They both told the court the argument was more heated than usual and Mrs Allen described her increasing exasperation at her husband’s insistence he was leaving.

She said she punched herself on the sides of her head out of sheer frustration and despair.

Mrs Allen also gave evidence saying she had done something similar on Boxing Day 2009, following another argument. And, she said, she cut her wrist 18 years ago, resulting in a minor injury which was treated in hospital.

But one doctor told the hearing that Mrs Allen’s injuries on February 20 - which included bruises and swelling - were not consistent with self-punching.

Police officers told the trial Mrs Allen made no mention of harming herself when they called at the house within 15 minutes of receiving a 999 call.

In that emergency call, the caller was recorded saying Allen was “trying to kill” Mrs Allen.

Sentencing Allen, Mrs Wickham said he had reacted to his irritation at his wife having a “female chat” with the cleaner “rather like a sprung coil”.

The district judge added: “I found that you snapped when you felt you were being stopped from leaving.”

She reminded the court that Allen hit his wife at least three times and, although the bruises and swelling were not “long- lasting”, she said the attack was “dangerous and unpleasant”.

She told Allen: “The effect of the conviction on you personally and professionally is profound. That is punishment, I’m sure you will think, in itself.”

Allen made no comment as he left the court.

He was called to the bar in 1973 and was made a QC in 1995. He was made a deputy high court judge in 2000.

One high-profile case he presided over was Christine Gill v RSPCA, in which he ruled against the animal charity in a dispute over a large will bequest.

Mrs Allen is also a trained barrister. She sits using her professional name, Melanie Williamson, as a deputy coroner in the eastern district of West Yorkshire, covering the Leeds area.