Main content

1. Prologue: It Began with a Murder

A shocking miscarriage of justice which led to the execution of Mahmood Mattan.
It happened 70 years ago but the story didn't end there...

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: 成人快手 Black Britain; ITV Wales.

Available now

17 minutes

More episodes

Previous

You are at the first episode

See all episodes from Mattan: Injustice of a Hanged Man

Podcast