- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
Uncovers the wrongful conviction of Derek Bentley, revealing new evidence that challenges his unjust execution in 1953. On 2 November 1952, two teenagers, Derek Bentley and Christopher Craig, tried to break into a warehouse in Croydon, Surrey. The police were called and in the minutes that followed, Craig wounded one policeman and shot another dead. At 16, Craig was too young to hang, but Bentley, at 19, was not. Even though he had not fired a shot or carried a gun and was under arrest at the time PC Sidney Miles died, Bentley was deemed to be guilty of murder. The law – of joint felonious enterprise – was unjust and Bentley had an IQ of 66 (the national average is 100). Even so, he was hanged at Wandsworth in February 1953. Nearly forty years later, PC Claude Pain, who was there at the time of the shooting, told a different story. He was on the warehouse rooftop and saw the whole thing. What really hanged Bentley were the words he allegedly used, 'Let him have it, Chris'. And Pain did not hear those words. M.J. Trow's Let Him Have It, Chris, published in 1990, was based on Pain's new evidence. Eight years later, the conviction against Bentley was overturned – not as a result of police corruption, but because of the appallingly partial performance of the trial judge, Lord Goddard. At the time, access to any material relating to the case was denied and only now, with the Freedom of Information Act, can Pain's testimony be refuted. He was not on the roof. His original deposition is still in The National Archive. This book aims to put the record straight. There was indeed a dreadful miscarriage of justice in 1952 – one of many before and since – and, in a way, Claude Pain was part of it.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: ‘Now, the Story is This …’
- Chapter 2: The Violent Playground
- Chapter 3: The Thin Blue Line
- Chapter 4: The Trial of the Century
- Chapter 5: Print the Legend*
- Chapter 6: The Appeal
- Chapter 7: ‘This Boy is Being Murdered’
- Chapter 8: The Truth of This Story?
- Chapter 9: Walking on Eggshells
- Chapter 10: The Ass That is the Law
- Chapter 11: A Gunfight in the Dark
- Chapter 12: The Wrong Arm of the Law
- Chapter 13: Putting the Record Straight
- Bibliography
- Plates