Treason, witchcraft, robbery & murder, just a few of the crimes that could incur the penalty of death in the early days of Britain's justice system. Domestic violence was rife & alcohol was often the fuel that culminated in the murders of a wife or sweetheart. DNA, blood grouping & fingerpinting are now used to place a person at the scene of a crime. Before the use of forensics, evidence was often circumstantial & there is no doubt that in some cases an innocent person would have been hanged.