Derek Bentley

Derek Bentley was a British man executed in 1953 for his involvement in a robbery that led to the murder of a police officer. At 19, he had a learning disability and was arrested during a botched burglary with an accomplice. The pivotal moment came when Bentley reportedly shouted “Let him have it, Chris,” which was interpreted as an instruction to shoot the officer, though he did not fire the gun himself. His controversial trial raised questions about his mental capacity and the fairness of the legal proceedings, leading to posthumous debates over justice, wrongful convictions, and the death penalty in the UK.