Let Him Have It

The true story of Derek Bentley (Christopher Eccleston), hanged, aged 19, in the 1950s after a controversial decision holding him responsible for the murder of a police officer. Despite a history of mental illness, and with the court accepting that he did not actually pull the trigger, Bentley was still sentenced to death - on the basis that his ambiguous cry of 'let him have it!' caused his young accomplice to fire the fatal shot. The release of this film focused attention on the case once more, and Bentley eventually received a posthumous pardon.