The Derek Bentley case Flashcards

All 7 cards in this deck

Who was Derek Bentley and what happened to him?

A 19-year-old with learning difficulties, hanged in January 1953 for the murder of PC Sidney Miles during a burglary in Croydon.

True or false? Derek Bentley fired the shot that killed PC Miles.

False. The shot was fired by his 16-year-old accomplice Christopher Craig, who was too young to be hanged.

Why was Derek Bentley convicted of murder even though he did not fire the gun?

Under joint enterprise he was held equally responsible for the crime, and his words 'Let him have it, Chris' were treated as encouragement to shoot.

What was the significance of the Derek Bentley case for the abolition of the death penalty?

It raised public concern that no allowance could be made for the circumstances of a crime, adding to pressure (with Ruth Ellis in 1955) to end hanging.

What happened to Derek Bentley's conviction after his death?

His family campaigned for decades; in 1993 he received a partial royal pardon covering his death sentence, and in 1998 the Court of Appeal quashed his murder conviction.

Who could have spared Derek Bentley from hanging, and what did they decide?

The Home Secretary, who refused a reprieve even though the jury had recommended mercy and about 200 MPs backed a motion to save him.

True or false? Derek Bentley was free on the roof when PC Miles was shot.

False. He was already being held by a police officer when Christopher Craig fired the fatal shot.