Britain abolished the death penalty because the last man to be
hanged was convicted under controversial circumstances.
In 1952, two youths were surprised by police during a break-in.
Derek Bentley was arrested. He shouted let him have it,
Chris.
Chris Craig was his accomplice with the gun. Chris fired, wounded
one officer and killed another.
Did Bentley meant "shoot him" or "give him the gun"?
The then 19 years old Bentley was illiterate and had an IQ which
put him in the bottom 1% of the population.
The court alleged at Bentley's trial in 1952 that the crucial words
were those of an angry young man urging his accomplice to shoot a
policeman.
Both were tried for murder, found guilty and sentenced to
death.
The Conservative government, worried by growing violence in the
post-war period, had decided to "make an example" of Bentley.
Bentley was hanged and Craig was imprisoned because he was
underaged.
Public outcry enventually led to the abolition of death penalty in
1964.
Bentleys sister Iris led a long campaign to appeal for a
posthumous pardon for him.
She kept a bottle of champagne in her home for 44 years, hoping to
break it open when her brother's name was finally cleared. She
passed away in 1997. It was left to her daughter to pop the
cork.
After several rejections, the appeal was finally allowed and
Bentley was pardoned in 1998 by Tony Blairs Labour
Government.
Derek Bentley was considered the victim of one of the greatest
miscarriages of British justice.
