dastard

dastard \DAS-terd\, noun:

a mean coward

Even that notorious dastard and Spanish Political Grafter Juan March, popularly supposed to get his way in any part of Spain with 1,000 peseta notes, bolted like a rabbit for France until things should quiet down.
-- Time, 3/2/1936

The announcer interrupted the program to say that he had an announcement of a dastardly deed to make. Then he read communiqués of the Central Committee of the party and the Council of People's Commissars of the government. The orchestra played the funeral march from 'Tannhäuser,' and all broadcasting ceased.
-- Amy Knight, Who Killed Kirov?

c 1440, possibly from dast/dased "dull, stupid," past participle of dasen "to daze"