To Encourage the Others

by David A. Yallop

The murder case that shook a generationTo Encourage The OthersOn 2nd November 1952, two teenagers were trapped by police on a warehouse roof. In the course of what the national press were to describe as 'a Chicago-style gun battle', P.C. Sidney Miles was shot between the eyes and died.16-year-old Christopher Craig and 19-year-old Derek Bentley were subsequently arrested and sent to trial. They came to personify the disaffected youth of post-war Britain, but Derek Bentley became much more. His story and ultimate fate are unique annals of criminal history.Originally published in 1971 and the subject of a BAFTA nominated television play by the author. This book and the evidence it contains twice forced Governments to reopen a murder case long closed it finally led in July 1993 to the granting of a posthumous Royal pardon to Derek Bentley.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

David Anthony Yallop was an agnostic British author who writes chiefly about unsolved crimes.

Reviews

[David Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember watching the BBC Play for Today adaptation of this forensic dismantling of the case against Derek Bentley and, being too young to know the outcome, assumed that sense would prevail and that Bentley, an illiterate 19 year old with a mental age of 4, would be reprieved.
The shocking images of the Bentley family opening a box which contained a card on which was printed, “Your son needs this” and expecting a cake but finding a noose, and the late scene where it is revealed to Bentley that the actual noose is waiting just outside his cell gave me nightmares and a realisation that the British justice system was not infallible.

David Yallop’s investigative style and clear, logical approach was unfortunately not adopted by those involved in Bentley’s trial. He gives an account of the prevailing post war crime wave among the youth population and the seeming need for the justice system to make an example of a delinquent in order “To encourage the others.” The death of a policeman is always shocking and the opportunity arose to suppress crime by increasingly severe sentencing.
There seems to be severe doubt that the bullet that killed PC Miles came from Christopher Craig’s inaccurate and weak gun and possibly was fired by a police marksman shooting at Craig - the large calibre bullet retrieved from the roof (too large for his gun) was never submitted in evidence. Years later, Craig still thought he was the killer and wondered idly how he could have shot a man between the eyes when he was facing the other way. There seems great doubt as whether Bentley ever said the fateful phrase “Let him have it Chris”, that would lead to his judicial murder and the time he spent during the gun battle trying to get Craig to give himself up was ignored at the trial. Craig was 16 and could not be hanged.
Bentley remains the only young man to have been hanged for a killing perpetrated by another and while actually under arrest. The case accelerated the abolishment of the death penalty in the UK. His conviction was quashed in July 1998.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Derek Bentley continues to be one that is a blot of the landscape of British justice along with the Timothy Evans case although Evans WAS eventually granted a posthumous pardon....
Derek's sister fought tirelessly to try and clear his name and afford him the same courtesy.
The film "Let Him Have It" tells this story too.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This trial makes me very angry, very sad, and very worried about the fate of humanity.

David Yallop is great.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched. If it hadn't have been for David Yallop Bentley would probably have never been pardoned nor the conviction overturned.