Derek Bentley Must Hang
Derek Bentley Must Hang  
Podcast: Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
Published On: Fri Oct 24 2025
Description: An amateurish burglary in 1950s London ends in murder. One of the men involved is a 19-year-old named Derek Bentley. Bentley has the understanding of a child - and he wasn't the killer. But the British justice system seems determined to deliver the death penalty. The fate of capital punishment lies in the balance, and so too does the fate of Derek Bentley. For a full list of show notes go to timharford.com, and to join our new Patreon, go to patreon.com/cautionaryclub. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.