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Court reporter who served daily for decades dies aged 81

A court reporter who covered cases for a regional daily for half a century has died aged 81.

Tributes have been to Stan Miller, who was based at Manchester Magistrates Court and covered hearings for the Manchester Evening News.

Freelance Stan regarded the MEN as a “second home”, according to an obituary by its chief reporter Neal Keeling.

Stan, pictured below on his 80th birthday, had been living with cancer for several years.

Stan Miller

In his obituary, Neal wrote: “He was as integral a part of local justice as the judges, magistrates, lawyers, and criminals.

“But it was Stan Miller’s charm, charisma, the unmovable twinkle in his eye, and his relentless humour which made him unforgettable.

“For decades he held court – in court. He was the most able and highly-regarded reporter to cover the city’s Magistrates Court.

“He was a freelance but regarded the MEN (after Pret A Manger) as his second home. His observations, impersonations, grasp of the absurd, and gruff Manc delivery of one-liners meant entertainment was guaranteed when sitting near the dock with him.”

Sarah Lester, senior editor at the MEN, said: “I can hardly believe Stan has died. He’s one of those people I thought would go on forever.

“When Stan ambled into the office or gave you a call, you knew he would have a fistful of belting stories, not all of them publishable.

“It takes a combination of mischief, wiliness, charm, intelligence, and an astute understanding of the human condition to be a great journalist and Stan was one of the greats.

“He was part of the fabric of the court and earned the right to a kind of access that other court reporters could only dream of. Stan showed many young reporters what it means to be a journalist, including me. I’ll never forget him.”

Stan first started filing copy when he was a youngster, beginning as a runner before covering football, cricket and court.

He joined and later co-owned press agency Stewart and Hartley.

Current MEN crime reporter John Scheerhout, who worked for him when he co-owned Chester News Service, said: “With his trademark white jacket and thick curly mop of hair, Stan cut an unmistakable figure as he stalked the corridors of Manchester Magistrates Court looking for stories.

“Judges, magistrates, solicitors, clerks, ushers: they all knew and trusted Stan. If ever there was a gap in your story, Stan would be able to fill it. Nothing happened at that court without Stan getting to know about it.

“It’s no exaggeration to say he was a court reporting legend. What I’ll miss most, though, is his wicked sense of humour, that deep gravelly voice that would take you to one side and whisper something utterly outrageous into your ear.”

Former MEN reporter Mike Keegan, now a sports writer for the Daily Mail, added: “When you walked around the corridors and got into the lifts with Stan, you felt like you were with royalty. Everyone knew Stan and everyone liked him.

“His journalism – especially his ability to sniff out a story – was second to none. His dropped intros were the stuff of legend.

“He’s had and continues to have a huge influence on my career. You do not get to meet many like Stan and I was privileged to spend time in his presence.”

Grandfather-of-four Stan died on 20 July at his home in Sale, with wife Hilda and daughters Clare and Liz by his side.

Clare told the MEN: “He was the best dad in the world. He was such a warm man. Everyone liked him.

“He was the heartbeat of our family. There was absolutely nothing he wouldn’t do for any of us.

“His love, warmth, constant support, wicked sense of humour and even his temper will be sorely missed. We were blessed he was ours.

“The MEN was a big part of his world – he loved the place. When he finally tore himself away from work a few years ago it was obvious how much it had meant to him.”