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
For years, Mahmood Mattan's family believed in his innocence. But no-one would listen. Then in 1969, a shocking revelation - another vicious attack which bore many of the hallmarks of the murder of Lily Volpert. And the man responsible for that attack was also a vital witness in the case against Mattan. Finally, could the family prove once and for all that Mattan was an innocent man who should never have been sent to the gallows?
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. Archive: BBC Black Britain; ITV Wales
James Callaghan, Edmund Davies & Melbourne Thomas - Richard Elfyn Tom Driberg & Rhys Roberts - Rhys Downing Harold Cover - Anthony Corria Margaret Bush - Zoe Davies David Wickham - Dean Rehman