It was thought to be the ultimate deterrent - a life for a life. But does capital punishment work? Satish Sekar takes a look at some Tales Of Deterrence as Britain gets ready to debate  the vexed issue of the death penalty again.

During the last century hundreds of people were executed by the state. The risk of hanging was suppose to prevent murder. We chose to examine some case stories to test that belief. The series begins with the story of former executioner John Ellis. He turned to alcohol and attempted suicide, before successfully taking his own life. He tried to kill his family and failed - they fled in fear. Had he succeeded, former chief executioner Ellis would have faced the drop himself.

Samuel Dougal applied to become a hang man in the late 19c. Knowing the consequences of murder Dougal ended his life on the gallows - the only applicant executioner to see how the trap worked from the wrong end of the rope.

Two former police officers, James Power and Ernest Moss, were hanged for murder between the world wars. Power was a brute, dismissed fir malpractice, but Moss' story was in every sense a tragic tale - one where capital punishment itself may have led to murder and moss to commit suicide by proxy.

During World War 2 special constables performed important duties, but one abused that trust, John Reginald Halliday Christie was also a serial killer. Christie cut a respectable figure in court, as he swore away timothy Evans life in 1950, three years later, the former special constable went to the gallows as one of Britain's most depraved serial killers.

Capital punishment has failed to deter a wood be executioner, two former police officers and a special Constable from committing crimes they knew would send them to the gallows. Surely the ultimate deterrent would have prevented that if it worked as advertised.

In 1922 major Herbert Rowse Armstrong was controversially executed, guilty or Innocent the death penalty was no deterrent in a case where there should have been no question Armstrong was an officer of the court the only solicitor hanged in Britain in the 20c.

An even better example of the failure of deterrence is James Ronald Robertson he was hanged for murder on Dec 16th 1950 - the only serving Police Officer executed in Britain in the last century. Finally, James Corbits went to the gallows in 1950 not even his friendship with then Chief Executioner Albert Pierrepointcould prevent him taking a path that forced Pierrepoint to end his life. Is capital punishment an effective deterrent?  Judge for yourself.