Derek William Bentley (30 June 1933 – 28 January 1953) was a British man who was hanged for the murder of a policeman during a burglary attempt. Christopher Craig, then aged 16, a friend and accomplice of Bentley, was accused of the murder. Bentley was convicted as a party to the crime, by the English law principle of common purpose, "joint enterprise", as the burglary had been committed in mutual understanding. The trial was controversial.
The jury at the trial found Bentley guilty based on the prosecution's interpretation of the ambiguous phrase "Let him have it" (Bentley's alleged exhortation to Craig), after the judge, Lord Chief Justice Goddard, had described Bentley as "mentally aiding the murder of Sidney Miles". Goddard sentenced Bentley to be hanged, despite a recommendation for mercy by the jury: under the Judgment of Death Act 1823, no other sentence was possible (although the Homicide Act 1957, which introduced stronger diminished responsibility safeguards, was almost certainly influenced by the Bentley trial).
The Bentley case became a cause célèbre, and led to a 45-year-long campaign to win Derek Bentley a posthumous pardon, which was granted in 1993, and then a further campaign for the quashing of his murder conviction, which occurred in 1998. His case is thus considered a case of miscarriage of justice alongside that of Timothy Evans, and pivotal in the successful campaign to abolish capital punishment in the United Kingdom.
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Some of their strengths
Derek William Bentley has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Intelligent, Diplomatic, Energetic, Intuitive, Creative, Caring, and Practical.
Intuitive and Imaginative
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Derek William Bentley is someone who is a highly intuitive, creative and imaginative person who is very loyal, caring and compassionate to others. A person who is known for being fun and creative.
Warm and Caring
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Derek William Bentley well know them as someone who can be warm, caring, and compassionate, like a lamp or torch.
Altruistic and Innovative
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Derek William Bentley as someone who is altruistic, inventive, energetic, and socially-conscious.
Who is inventive, open-minded and inquisitive, optimistic and cooperative, and who loves working together with others.
Charismatic and Playful
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Derek William Bentley is someone who is used to being the center of attention, and who has a playful approach to dealing with life.
They are also someone who is calm, comforting, and stable, and who loves stability and being a good friend and loyal partner.
Traditional and Patient
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Derek William Bentley tends to be someone who is a patient person that is very emotional, has a very sharp memory, has an ability to understand people, and who tends to be traditional and frugal.
Some of Derek William Bentley's challenges
While Derek William Bentley has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Derek William Bentley can be Pleasure-seeking, Emotional, Standoffish, Hesitant, Narcissistic, Indecisive, and Unrealistic.
Emotional and Standoffish
One of Derek William Bentley's key challenges is that they are someone who can be emotional and standoffish.
Derek William Bentley must also exercise caution as they can have a hard time reconciling wants and needs.
Anxious and Inflexible
Derek William Bentley is someone who can be high-strung, impatient, and inflexible, who can be "penny wise and pound foolish", have poor listening skills, and who can be intolerant of people who share a different world view.
Sensitive and Money-oriented
Finally, Derek William Bentley also can have mood swings, be overly sensititive, and be a bit rigid and materialistic.
