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Learning
Difficulties Major 
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TITLE |
Let
Him Have It (1991) |
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DISABILITY |
Learning
difficulty |
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NOTES |
Film of true
events in Britain in the 50s when two young men |
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breaking
into a building were trapped by police. One, Craig, |
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shoots a
policeman while the other older one, Derek Bentley, |
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is already
in police custody. Bentley who had learning |
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difficulties
was hanged while Craig who was only 16 got |
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prison. The
prosecution rested on Bentley having shouted |
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'Let him
have it'. They insisted Bentley was egging on Craig |
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while his
defence claimed he was telling Craig to give up the |
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A case which
was an affront to British justice. Bentley was |
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recently, I
believe, given a pardon. |
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The whole
film is heading for the trial and execution of Derek |
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Bentley who
though under police arrest at the time his partner |
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killed a
policeman is hanged. Craig who did the killing was |
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only sixteen
and got life imprisonment. |
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But the
characterisation of the people and events leading to |
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the murder
show how Bentley who as someone with learning |
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difficulties
wanted to be a part of something with people he |
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A highly
biased and motivated film whose audience is unlikely to know if
there is another side to the story. |
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Notes
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