▁read . ▁ ▁After ▁ 7 5 ▁minutes ▁of ▁deliber ations , ▁the ▁j ury ▁returned ▁a ▁guilty ▁ver dict ▁in ▁respect ▁of ▁both ▁defend ants . ▁Craig ▁was ▁too ▁young ▁for ▁a ▁death ▁sentence , ▁but ▁Bent ley ▁was ▁not . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁j ury ▁had ▁exception ally ▁returned ▁a ▁ple a ▁of ▁mer cy ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁Bent ley ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁guilty ▁ver dict . ▁The ▁decision ▁passed ▁to ▁the ▁Home ▁Secretary , ▁David ▁Max well ▁F y fe , ▁to ▁decide ▁whether ▁cle men cy ▁should ▁be ▁granted . ▁After ▁reading ▁Home ▁Office ▁psych iat ric ▁reports ▁and ▁a ▁pet ition ▁signed ▁by ▁ 2 0 0 ▁MP s , ▁he ▁rejected ▁the ▁request ▁and ▁Bent ley ▁was ▁h anged ▁by ▁Albert ▁Pierre point ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁January ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁Craig ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁prison ▁and ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁after ▁serving ▁ten - and - a - half ▁years . ▁D erek ▁Bent ley ▁had ▁his ▁conv iction ▁qu ashed ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁with ▁the ▁appeal ▁trial ▁judge , ▁Lord ▁B ingham , ▁not ing ▁that ▁Lord ▁God d ard ▁had ▁denied ▁the ▁def endant ▁" the ▁fair ▁trial ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁birth right ▁of ▁every ▁British ▁citiz en ." ▁ ▁Political ▁context ▁ ▁God d ard ▁chose ▁to ▁continue ▁his ▁invol vement ▁with ▁tri als ▁on ▁the ▁front ▁line , ▁and ▁opt ed ▁to ▁judge ▁ordinary ▁High ▁Court ▁cases ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁entitled ▁to