Canterbury's top judge Adele Williams has bid farewell to colleagues and staff today after finishing her eight-year term on the bench.

She will now head off for a spell at the High Court in London before moving to Maidstone Crown Court, where she will preside over serious cases, including murder.

After being called to the bar 44 years ago, she married Andrew Patience in 1975 – who then became resident judge at Maidstone and has since retired.

The mother of two joined the Kent Bar Mess, prosecuting and defending cases at both crown courts, before being made a circuit judge 16 years ago.

Since then she has tried many murder cases at Canterbury including the trials of the three Knight brothers who smoked legal highs before killing a woman with wrestling moves and were jailed for life.

And shop workers Mohammed Islam, 28, and 38-year-old Murshed Miah, who were convicted of murdering a retired machinist Harjit Chaggar following an eight-week trial at Canterbury Crown Court and more than 21 hours of deliberations.

Top QC Oliver Saxby was one of the lawyers who paid tribute to her work at Canterbury, which has inspired respect and loyalty from court staff and barristers.

He said: "What has really characterised her work has been her instinctive, sound judgement, her great dynamism and efficiency, and a sense of co-operation and camaraderie - without which, the whole process does not work."