The reason that I believe that he is innocent is because of his mental status. Evidence shows that although he was nineteen, he had the mental age of an eleven year old. This says to me that he wouldn’t have known what the consequences of his actions were, like any eleven year old. This is why the parents are responsible for the actions of an eleven year old. Also he suffered from epilepsy and was illiterate. Because of this, I do not think that he was able to make a decision of his own. I believe that he was led on by Craig, who, because Bentley had the mental age of an eleven year old, should have been responsible for his actions. This is missed in the verdict at court, and Bentley is sentenced as if he were a normal man. If his disabilities were taken into account, then maybe he would have gone free.
Craig had also shot DC Fairfax in the shoulder whilst out on the roof, who was then aided by Bentley (hardly the actions of a desperate young thug, who was guilty) and stayed with him for thirty minutes, then when more police arrived, Craig persisted in shooting at the officers. He also hit PC Miles, and killed him, then in a desperate attempt to save himself, jumped from the roof and broke his back, (this seems like the actions of a guilty person who was trying to get away.)
At the scene of this crime there must have been some police officers who would have seen Craig and Bentley, and would have seen that Craig was the one shooting and Bentley was helping the injured policeman, but why didn’t any police officer stand up and say anything in Bentley’s defence? This seems to be an unfair trial, and Bentley has not had his justice in court. If a policeman had stood up and said something then there is a big chance that Bentley would not have been hanged. This makes a big difference to the verdict and therefore makes the trial unfair to Bentley.
In the court, the evidence showed that Bentley was armed with knuckle-duster and a knife, and Craig was armed with a knife also but as well as a .455 Eley revolver. This is surely enough evidence to prove that Craig was the one who shot at PC Miles and killed him, and that Bentley had no part of the murder. Once again British justice has failed to prove that a man is innocent, and the consequences are dire.
In conclusion, I still believe that Derek Bentley is innocent because of his mental status and his conditions, and the fact that he stayed with DC Fairfax when he was wounded, and the fact that Craig had the gun and was the one shooting at everyone. I think that Bentley just got caught up with Craig, and that its all Craig’s fault. Craig should have hanged, not Bentley.
