Petronilla de Meath was the maid of noblewoman Dame Alice Kyteler. Following the death of Kyteler's fourth husband, she was accused of practicing witchcraft, and as her maid, Petronilla was accused of being her accomplice.
Poor Petronilla was taken and tortured until a 'confession' was forced from her stating that she and Alice were witches. She was then flogged and finally burned at the stake on this day in 1324 in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Petronilla became the first person to be put to death by fire for heresy in Ireland and Great Britain, many would follow.
Artist Judy Chicago featured a place setting for Petronilla at the table in her art installation 'The Dinner Party' which has the names of 39 mythical and historical women around it. It is on display in New York.
Showing posts with label conviction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conviction. Show all posts
Sunday, 3 November 2019
Thursday, 25 April 2019
Guillotine first used on this day 1792
The sound of a shearing, falling blade is the stuff of nightmares and brings to mind a head falling into a waiting basket...portrayed in comedy, cartoon and horror films alike, however on the 25th April 1792 it was used for the first time in France for real.
The first 'customer' for the angled blade was highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier and the guillotine (named after inventor Joseph-Ignace Guillotine) remained as France's principle method of execution right up until the abolition of capital punishment in 1981! Very much in living memory for those of us at a certain age.
The last person to be put to death by guillotine in France was Turkish farm worker Hamida Djandoubi also known as 'The Pimp Killer' on 10th September 1977, he was found guilty on all counts of horrific crimes which included the kidnapping, torture and murder of his ex-girlfriend Elisabeth Bousquet. This event was also the last time a western country executed an person by beheading.
The first 'customer' for the angled blade was highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier and the guillotine (named after inventor Joseph-Ignace Guillotine) remained as France's principle method of execution right up until the abolition of capital punishment in 1981! Very much in living memory for those of us at a certain age.
The last person to be put to death by guillotine in France was Turkish farm worker Hamida Djandoubi also known as 'The Pimp Killer' on 10th September 1977, he was found guilty on all counts of horrific crimes which included the kidnapping, torture and murder of his ex-girlfriend Elisabeth Bousquet. This event was also the last time a western country executed an person by beheading.
Monday, 28 January 2019
The Hanging of Derek Bentley.
On the 28th January 1953 (very much in living history), Derek Bentley who was 19 was hanged for the murder of a policeman which was committed during an attempted robbery. The case sparked a huge public controversy and many people questioned the sentence and it's circumstances.
Bentley was proven to have many health and developmental issues and had been tested for such previous to and during the trial. He had epilepsy and a low I.Q, being described as "quite illiterate" with a reading age of just 4 1/2 years old. This obviously led to concerns about culpability and whether he was capable of recalling events accurately when questioned, especially under pressure.
At the time the murder was attributed to Bentley's friend and partner in crime Christopher Craig who was then aged 16, however this was later called into question and Bentley was convicted as a party to murder in no small part to a comment he is supposed to have made of "let him have it". Judge Chief Justice Goddard described Bentley as "mentally aiding the murder of Police Constable Sidney Miles" and sentenced him to death by hanging which was apparently the only suitable sentence.
Following many years of controversy and appeals by the family (his parents until their deaths then by his sister until hers) and many people caught up in the case Bentley was given a posthumous Royal pardon in 1993, his conviction was eventually quashed in 1998.
Bentley was proven to have many health and developmental issues and had been tested for such previous to and during the trial. He had epilepsy and a low I.Q, being described as "quite illiterate" with a reading age of just 4 1/2 years old. This obviously led to concerns about culpability and whether he was capable of recalling events accurately when questioned, especially under pressure.
At the time the murder was attributed to Bentley's friend and partner in crime Christopher Craig who was then aged 16, however this was later called into question and Bentley was convicted as a party to murder in no small part to a comment he is supposed to have made of "let him have it". Judge Chief Justice Goddard described Bentley as "mentally aiding the murder of Police Constable Sidney Miles" and sentenced him to death by hanging which was apparently the only suitable sentence.
Following many years of controversy and appeals by the family (his parents until their deaths then by his sister until hers) and many people caught up in the case Bentley was given a posthumous Royal pardon in 1993, his conviction was eventually quashed in 1998.
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