Case study 7 - Derek Bentley Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Case study 7 - Derek Bentley Deck (3)
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1
Q

How old was Bentley when he was executed? When and why was this?

A

19 years old

1953

Executed for killing a policeman

2
Q

Why was it controversial?

A

He wasn’t the one who actually did the shooting - the person who did was 16, but couldn’t be hung (due to restrictions on capital punishment imposed by law)

Bentley had a mental age of 10

The prosecution stated that Bentley said “let him have it, Chris”. The meaning of this was unclear: was he saying to shoot PC Miles, or let him have the gun

3
Q

Why was this case important?

A

A huge protest took place and brought the idea of capital punishment into the public eye

4 years later, the law was changed to just 5 types of murder

11 years after this case was the last ever execution