The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
When would the case for capital punishment become a viable consideration?
Sir, – I refer to the letter from Ivan W Reid
(May 11) in which he states that capital punishment will never return to the United Kingdom, and that tough talk remains tough talk, but that contradicts the opinion of UK citizens, the majority of whom are in agreement with the death penalty for certain crimes.
He lists certain people who have been hanged in dubious circumstances, firstly Edith Thompson, a married woman in the 1920s who had an affair with a much younger man who was in the merchant navy. At her trial it was revealed that in many letters to her lover she wished she had poisoned her husband or fed him with crushed shards of glass, so the intent was obvious, and as a result her lover stabbed her husband to death, resulting in both receiving the death sentence which was carried out.
On the subject of Derek Bentley, he was a man with a criminal record. In 1952, while burgling a warehouse along with his gun-wielding accomplice – the 16-year-old Christopher Craig – a police officer, Sidney Miles, was shot dead by Craig. Prior to that Bentley was heard to say “let him have it”, and much was made of that at the court case. It could have meant “shoot him”, or it cluld have meant hand over the weapon. Bentley was found guilty and hanged while Craig, being 16 at the time, escaped the death penalty.
As for Timothy Evans, a man of low literary skills, he admitted to killing his wife and daughter, all before John Christie was convicted of these and other crimes, and also followed him to the gallows.
Nevertheless, what kind of answer would Ivan W Reid get from the families of the Moors Murderers’ victims with regard to the death penalty? There can be no excuse for the torture, and murder of defenceless children, especially that which was planned in advance.
Children are a delight and a joy to the vast majority of good-living parents and families, but to abuse them for depraved reasons defies belief – especially if it ends in torture, abuse and murder.
Does Mr Reid, with his anti-death penalty comments, still hold the same values?
If so, when it comes to children he is a disgrace. John Reid,
Keith.