Derek Bentley Case - Attempted Burglary and Murder

Attempted Burglary and Murder

On 2 November 1952, Bentley and a sixteen year old companion, Christopher Craig, attempted to burgle the warehouse of the Barlow & Parker confectionery company at 27-29 Tamworth Road, Croydon. Craig armed himself with a Colt New Service .455 Eley calibre revolver, of which Craig had shortened the barrel so that it could be easily carried in his pocket. Craig also carried a number of undersized rounds for the revolver, some of which he had modified by hand to fit the gun. Bentley carried a sheath knife and a spiked knuckle-duster, both of which Craig had given to Bentley.

At around 9.15pm, a nine-year-old girl in a house across the road spotted both Craig and Bentley climbing over the gate and up a drainpipe to the roof of the warehouse. She alerted her mother who called the police.

When the police arrived, the two youths hid behind the lift-housing. Craig taunted the police. One of the police officers, Detective Sergeant Frederick Fairfax, climbed the drainpipe onto the roof and grabbed hold of Bentley. Bentley broke free of Fairfax's grasp. What happened then is a matter of controversy: police witnesses later claimed Bentley shouted the words "Let him have it, Chris" to Craig. Craig and Bentley denied those words were ever spoken; Craig maintained this denial when interviewed nearly 40 years later in September 1991.

Craig fired his revolver at Fairfax, striking him in the shoulder. Despite his injury, Fairfax was again able to restrain Bentley. Bentley told Fairfax that Craig was armed with a revolver and had further ammunition for the gun. Bentley had not used either of the weapons which he had in his pockets.

A group of uniformed police officers arrived and was sent onto the roof. The first to reach the roof was Police Constable Sidney Miles, who was immediately killed by a shot to the head. After exhausting his ammunition and being cornered, Craig jumped around 30 feet (10 metres) from the roof onto a greenhouse, fracturing his spine and left wrist.

Various medals were awarded to the several participating police officers, including one – posthumously – to Miles and the George Cross to Fairfax, in January 1953.