Judge Robert Moore: Heartfelt eulogy held at court for Sheffield judge with fearsome reputation

His Honour Judge Robert Moore passed away on March 23, aged 76, following a year long battle with a rare form of cancer. His funeral last week was reportedly attended by hundreds of friends and family in what was called a “rock and roll celebration” of his life.

The circuit judge was equally admired by his colleagues in the legal world, cherished by friends for his sense of humour and feared by the criminals he sentenced.

Among friends, he was cheekily referred to as ‘Maximum Bob’ – a moniker earned from his reputation of handing down the maximum sentence to offenders who stood before him.

At Sheffield Crown Court today, more than 50 judges, barristers and court staff, as well as the late judge’s family, gathered or listened via a live link for a eulogy in his memory, with the Recorder for Sheffield Judge Jeremy Richardson sharing several personal stories from their career together.

Judge Richardson, who shared that Mr Moore had been his pupil master and mentor during his training, said he had learned of his passing from a text message from the retired judge’s wife, Sue. He said: “I had to read it twice to fully absorb what was written. It was shocking news. It had only been a day or two before that a message had been sent by Rob to us all that he was about to start a new course of experimental treatment and he was full of hope. It was not to be.

“In the last year or so since Robert was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer he has shown courage and determination of the highest level. He was brave and optimistic. These traits were the mark of the man, and it’s something I, and I know many others, admired about him.

“I was fond of Robert and I knew he was fond of me. I miss him a great deal, and I know I’m not the only one.”

Judge Moore grew up in Leicestershire and graduated from the University of Manchester. He was well known for hammering offenders with the strictest sentences possible and showing “aplomb and panache” in his sentencing remarks.

He formally retired in 2017 but returned to work a year later as a circuit judge in Grimsby.

On his first day back, every case ended in a custodial sentence, except one because it was sent to a different court. He was widely praised by the public for his harsh penalties, and a campaign called “Judge Moore for Mayor” launched soon after in the Lincolnshire town.

Other headline events in his career included a highly publicised case in 2000 in the trial of three men accused of affray. When he learned that jury members were privately making racist remarks about the defendants, he dismissed the jury for prejudice and ordered a retrial.

In 2018, Judge Moore received public praise when he blasted social workers in Barnsley for the much-criticised treatment of a six-year-old girl who was subjected to an intimate physical examination following her mother’s death. Judge Moore scolded the workers as “draconian” and for behaving “like the SS of Nazi Germany”. His remarks were praised by families across the country.

He also made headlines in 1996 when he presided over the sentencing of infamous graffiti artist Simon “Fista” Sunderland. Apparently unappreciative of his artwork, Judge Moor handed him the maximum sentence of five years in prison, which was later reduced to 21 months on appeal.

The several dozen legal colleagues that gathered in court 7 in Sheffield today appear stern and professional in their work, but this morning shared many laughs out of fondness of Judge Moore.

Judge Richardson praised him as an “incredibly hard worker” and candidly told several personal stories of their career together. The gathering laughed when the normally formidable Recorder of Sheffield shared how Judge Moore would tease his sentences for being “wet”.

"Every court needs someone like Robert Moore,” said Judge Richardson.

Another tribute was led by Her Honour Judge Sarah Wright, who shared how, in 2019, Robert asked her to write him a reference after he had applied to become a DJ for the patient radio station at Northern General Hospital, where he hoped to create a show that would be “a good time” and “a cross between Radio Luxembourg and Radio Caroline”.

In the letter of reference, which Judge Wright read to the court, she warmly said it would just have likely have been “Barry Manilow records for an hour”.

Mr Jason Pitter KC meanwhile led tributes on behalf of the many barristers and legal staff who had gathered. He said Judge Moore was “important as a judge”, but more than that he was kind outside of his work, and noted how his funeral a week before had been “a rock and roll celebration of his life” attended by hundreds of people.

He reportedly lived in Ecclesfield and is survived by his wife Sue and two sons.

Judge Richardson remarked Mr Moore was “blessed with a happy home life”, was “immensely proud” of his two sons, and had shown “true bravery and strength of character” in the last year of his life while battling his illness.

He said: “He did his best to make life as normal as possible for his family. He did this because he loved them so much.”