Derek Bentley case

• What year was Derek Bentley hanged for murder?

  1953
• What was Derek Bentley's mental age at the time of the crime?

  11
• Why was Derek Bentley's case significant in British history?

  It contributed to the decision to abolish the death penalty in Britain
• Who was Bentley's accomplice during the burglary?

  Christopher Craig
• How old was Christopher Craig when he committed the crime?

  16
• What happened when the police arrived at the scene?

  There was no shootout
• Who detained Derek Bentley?

  DC Fairfax
• What weapon did Christopher Craig use to injure DC Fairfax?

  A gun
• What did Bentley allegedly shout before Craig shot PC Sidney Miles?

  'Let him have it, Chris'
• What happened to Christopher Craig after he ran out of bullets?

  He jumped off the roof and broke his back
• What was the outcome of the trial for both Bentley and Craig?

  Both were convicted of murder
• What was Christopher Craig's sentence for his crime?

  Life imprisonment
• What was Derek Bentley's sentence for his crime?

  Hanging
• When was Derek Bentley hanged?

  28 January 1953
• What was a common issue in police recruitment during the late 1940s?

  Drunkenness and corruption
• What was the status of women in the Metropolitan Police by the late 1940s?

  Most were in less hazardous jobs
• What percentage of the Metropolitan Police force was black in the late 1940s?

  Less than 1%
• How did the size of the Metropolitan Police force change by the 1960s?

  It doubled from 70,000 to 140,000
• Who had the authority to reprieve condemned murderers in the Metropolitan Police?

  Only the Home Secretary
• What was the public reaction to Derek Bentley's sentence?

  There was a huge public outcry against it
• How many MPs supported the motion to reprieve Bentley?

  200 MPs
• What was the outcome of the motion to reprieve Bentley in parliament?

  It was never debated in parliament
• What did the media coverage of the Bentley case generally reflect?

  It was mostly sympathetic to Bentley's cause
• When was Derek Bentley pardoned?

  1993
• What were the significant implications of the Derek Bentley case?

  • Highlighted differences in punishment for murder
  • Illustrated the lottery nature of the Home Secretary's reprieves
  • Increased criticism of the death penalty as a fair punishment
• What was the role of the Home Secretary in the context of the Bentley case?

  The Home Secretary could have reprieved Bentley but chose not to
• When was Derek Bentley's conviction for murder overturned?

  1998
• How did the Derek Bentley case influence public opinion on the death penalty?

  It increased the number of people critical of the death penalty