Re: Death is a deterrent, John Utting, EA July 25. First of all, I should like to make clear to John that I am not a do-gooder, in fact do-gooders, people who don't mind their own businesses or tell everyone how to run their lives, are not my cup of tea at all, but I cannot agree with John's opinions on hanging.
He says in his letter most of those released from jail, are freed on legal technicalities and have not been proven innocent. What about the innocent men such as Evans, Bentley, etc, who have been hanged? There is no legal technicality to get them off.
John also says that if Kenny Noye had been executed for his first murder, he wouldn't have committed the second one. Logically this is correct, the only snag being that Kenny Noye was charged with murder on the first trial and the judge and jury found him innocent.
The main plank of John's letter is that hanging is a deterrent. May I point him in the direction of an excellent book Pierspoint the autobiography of Albert Pierspoint who was England's number one hangman, as was his uncle before him. On the last page of the book Albert writes and I quote: "I have hanged dozens of men and women and I have travelled the world, teaching other countries the art of hanging, but hanging is not a deterrent, and never will be. What it is, is revenge.''
W NEWSON
Cricklade Road
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