Somali seaman Mahmood Mattan was hanged for a crime he didn't commit. On March 6th, 1952, Lily Volpert was murdered in the shop she ran in Cardiff's Tiger Bay. What followed was a flawed police investigation and prejudiced trial that ultimately led to Mahmood being hanged for a crime he was not responsible for. After 46 years, his innocence was finally proved in a court of law. But the impact of Lily's murder and Mahmood's execution are still being felt by two families today. For the first time, we hear from the family of murder victim Lily. Ruth was just yards away when her aunty was murdered, and she still doesn't know who killed her. And the surviving family members of Mahmood's family open up about the trauma they felt - and continue to feel to this day - 70 years after Mahmood was hanged.
Episode 1 – “We carry the name”. Available from September 9th
Somali seaman Mahmood Mattan was hanged for a crime he didn't commit. On March 6th, 1952, Lily Volpert was murdered in the shop she ran in Cardiff's Tiger Bay. What followed was a flawed police investigation and prejudiced trial that ultimately led to Mahmood being hanged for a crime he was not responsible for. After 46 years, his innocence was finally proved in a court of law. But the impact of Lily's murder and Mahmood's execution are still being felt by two families today. For the first time, we hear from the family of murder victim Lily. Ruth was just yards away when her aunty was murdered, and she still doesn't know who killed her. And the surviving family members of Mahmood's family open up about the trauma they felt - and continue to feel to this day - 70 years after Mahmood was hanged.
Episode 1 – “We carry the name”. Available from September 9th
Mahmood Mattan came to the UK from Somalia to seek a better life. He met and fell in love with a local woman from Cardiff. But in the 1950s, their mixed marriage was frowned upon. And that racial hostility simmered away in Mahmood's life, and probably played a part in his death. He was arrested, convicted and hanged for the murder of shopkeeper Lily Volpert. His execution took place 70 years ago - and it would take decades for his name to be cleared. And even today, the repercussions of that miscarriage of justice are still being felt.
Presenter and Producer: Danielle Fahiya Sound Design: Cathy Robinson Original Music: Rhodri Llewellyn John Executive Producers: Karen Voisey and Andy Maguire Story Consultant: John Norton Production Manager: Andrea Deere
History consultant: Chris Phillips Newspaper reporter: Ian Dunnett Jnr Archive: BBC Black Britain; ITV Wales.