Ronnie Biggs

Quoted from kingofthekippers

In the robbery the diesel train driver, Jack Mills, was coshed using an iron bar - whoever struck the blow is still not known to this day. Mills never fully recovered from the attack and never worked again. In 1970, seven years after the attack he died of leukemia. This condition was medically unrelated to the attack although it has been suggested that it could have been indirectly related to the assault.

At that time the law stated that if a victim of an assault lived for more than a year and a day after it, it could not be treated as murder.

Interestingly at the time that comments were made that the severity of the sentences was because "The Establishment" saw the Great Train Robbery as firstly stage 1 in a bizarre game of one-up-manship as criminal gangs sought to outdo each other and the need to deter such behaviour, and secondly, deflect public opinion away from the laid back way in which they treated that amount of money.
Personally I find it strange that even without the death penalty crimes against the person seem to be considered less punishable than crimes against "the system" or is it just me?

Quoted from barralad

Interestingly at the time that comments were made that the severity of the sentences was because "The Establishment" saw the Great Train Robbery as firstly stage 1 in a bizarre game of one-up-manship as criminal gangs sought to outdo each other and the need to deter such behaviour, and secondly, deflect public opinion away from the laid back way in which they treated that amount of money.
Personally I find it strange that even without the death penalty crimes against the person seem to be considered less punishable than crimes against "the system" or is it just me?

It is rather bizarre. You can commit murder and receive a sentence of ten years. Or you can rob a bank at gunpoint and receive fifteen.

Even more bizarre is that you can mismanage said bank and walk away with a gold-plated pension for life.

Quoted from kingofthekippers

In the robbery the diesel train driver, Jack Mills, was coshed using an iron bar - whoever struck the blow is still not known to this day. Mills never fully recovered from the attack and never worked again. In 1970, seven years after the attack he died of leukemia. This condition was medically unrelated to the attack although it has been suggested that it could have been indirectly related to the assault.

At that time the law stated that if a victim of an assault lived for more than a year and a day after it, it could not be treated as murder.

Eh? How does a blow to the head indirectly cause bone marrow cancer?

Quoted from immariner

Eh? How does a blow to the head indirectly cause bone marrow cancer?

The post-mortem on the driver showed, quite correctly, that his leukemia was in no way linked to his assault, even more so after seven years had passed. However his family maintain that after the assault Mr Mills became withdrawn and depressed; he certainly never worked again after the robbery. Don't forget: assault by stranger and robbery are commonplace today but in the early 1960's were still a rarity.

His family insist that his change in character after the assault led to a downbeat personality and the eventual diagnosis. Of course there is no proof that this led to the cause of death.

Depends what form of leukemia it was I suppose, but still, no one can say it wouldn't have happened had he not had a bonk on the noggin', so it's a redundant point really.