Stanley Higgenbottom was the duty magistrate at Weatherfield Magistrates Court when Emily Nugent and Leonard Swindley went before the judges after a motoring incident in 1965.
Nicknamed "Strangeways Stan", Higgenbottom was known all over Weatherfield for his harsh sentences, with Charlie Moffitt commenting that Emily and Swindley were as good as knitting mailbags if they got him. Hoping to set his mind at ease, Swindley tried to find out ahead of time who the duty magistrate would be, only to have a police constable confirm that it was indeed Strangeways Stan on duty that day - though the PC advised Swindley not to call the magistrate by that name. His fears were exacerbated when the woman who appeared in court immediately before them, Angela Winthrop, was given a month in prison when she had only expected a fine.
Seen separately, Emily and Swindley were charged with driving the wrong way down a one-way street (Emily), and accompanying a learner driver while not in possession of a current driving licence (Swindley). Though undeniably stern, Higgenbottom defied his reputation by showing leniency towards Emily, viewing Swindley as having misled her. Swindley, as a lay preacher and man of influence in the local community, was given a dressing down by the lead magistrate and a £20 fine, and Emily only a £5 fine.
- Credited as "Magistrate", the character's name was given in dialogue.