Health and Mental Development
Derek Bentley had a series of health and developmental problems. During World War II, the house in which Bentley lived was bombed and collapsed around him, leaving Bentley with serious head injuries and concussed.
Kingswood Approved School administered diagnostic tests to Bentley during the time of his detention there. In December 1948, Bentley's mental age was estimated at 10 years, 4 months; his actual age was 15 years, 6 months. Bentley scored 66 on an IQ test in December 1948 and 77 in 1952. After his arrest in November 1952, further IQ tests were administered to Bentley at Brixton Prison. Bentley was described as "borderline feeble-minded", with a verbal score of 71, a performance IQ of 87 and a full scale IQ of 77.
As of December 1948, Bentley had a reading age of 4 years, 6 months. He was still "quite illiterate" at the time of his arrest in November 1952.
Bentley was examined twice by EEG: a reading on 16 November 1949 indicated he was an epileptic and a reading on 9 February 1950 was "abnormal".
In February 1952, Bentley underwent a medical examination for national service, where he was judged "mentally substandard" and unfit for military service.
Read more about this topic: Derek Bentley Case
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