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Failed Justice: The Craig and Bentley Case Revisited
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.
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.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published May 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 27, 2025
I received a free copy of, Failed Justice, by M J Trow, , from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. November of 1952 in England Derek Bentley and Christopher Craig were accused of murder of a cop. Derk was hanged for his crime, Christopher was 16 at the time and was sent to prison. This was a shocking read about failed justice.
January 30, 2025
2nd Nov 1952 in Croydon, Surrey & two teenagers, Derek Bentley (19) & Christopher Craig (16), tried to break into a warehouse from the rooftop. Police were called & in the ensuing minutes, one police officer was wounded & another was tragically killed. It's one of the worst examples of the British 'justice' quirk of joint felonious enterprise - where everyone complicit in the crime can be charged with murder if someone is killed in the carrying out of the crime - & brought about the frankly ludicrous situation where the person who fired the gun served time in prison, whilst the one who was not carrying a gun, didn't fire a shot, & was under custody of the police officers on the rooftop for almost all the time, was hanged.
This book is the second one about the case written by the author, the previous one based on evidence given by a police officer who purported to be on the rooftop that night but who had not been called to give evidence. The reticence of anyone involved to discuss this led to the writing of the initial book ('Let Him Have It, Chris'). Subsequent evidence has led to this second book by the author where Trow discusses the trial, the fallout, & the failure of the British justice system along with the setting the record straight about the claims of the aforementioned police officer who claimed to be on the rooftop. It's a well-written book that is, in my view, justifiably critical of many of those involved in the case especially the trial judge.
One of the most interesting chapters for me was about the history of the police in England. The author argues that the image of the 'salt-of-the-earth copper' was always a fantasy & did not represent the truth, that it has always been more 'The Sweeney' than 'Dixon of Dock Green'. Examples given from the nineteenth century all the way up to the recent murder of Sarah Everard back this up, & since this book has been written, the allegations of covers ups & worse regarding grooming gangs over the past 10-20 years should have us all questioning what we have been told. 4.5 stars (rounded up)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pen & Sword, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
This book is the second one about the case written by the author, the previous one based on evidence given by a police officer who purported to be on the rooftop that night but who had not been called to give evidence. The reticence of anyone involved to discuss this led to the writing of the initial book ('Let Him Have It, Chris'). Subsequent evidence has led to this second book by the author where Trow discusses the trial, the fallout, & the failure of the British justice system along with the setting the record straight about the claims of the aforementioned police officer who claimed to be on the rooftop. It's a well-written book that is, in my view, justifiably critical of many of those involved in the case especially the trial judge.
One of the most interesting chapters for me was about the history of the police in England. The author argues that the image of the 'salt-of-the-earth copper' was always a fantasy & did not represent the truth, that it has always been more 'The Sweeney' than 'Dixon of Dock Green'. Examples given from the nineteenth century all the way up to the recent murder of Sarah Everard back this up, & since this book has been written, the allegations of covers ups & worse regarding grooming gangs over the past 10-20 years should have us all questioning what we have been told. 4.5 stars (rounded up)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pen & Sword, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
December 20, 2024
This is a fascinating and forensic re-examination of the famous if not notorious Craig/Bentley trial and execution of perhaps a far more innocent party in Derek Bentley. Trow has gathered more evidence to update his previous book on the case and uncovers an horrific story of policemen changing and agreeing their evidence with each other, an appalling judge who became the prosecutions's best witness and the feelings of the time which were that perhaps retribution was required for the killing of a police officer and if the actual murderer was too young to hang then joint enterprise could ensure that his accomplice who probably never shouted those immortal if now made up words "let him have it, Chris" should be the sacrificial lamb.
The feelings and nuances of the time are brilliantly captured by the author and this is an important, angry and opinionated book that is a difficult but essential read.
The feelings and nuances of the time are brilliantly captured by the author and this is an important, angry and opinionated book that is a difficult but essential read.
March 4, 2025
This book re-examines the 1952 conviction and execution of Derek Bentley for murder, despite his low IQ and lack of direct involvement in the shooting. The book challenges the testimony that led to Bentley’s wrongful death.
This is an interesting and engaging true crime book. It’s confusing at times because different people describe the crime in different ways. It’s clear that a miscarriage of justice occurred.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This is an interesting and engaging true crime book. It’s confusing at times because different people describe the crime in different ways. It’s clear that a miscarriage of justice occurred.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews