The Last Hanging in Cardiff Prison

The Last Hanging in Cardiff Prison

In September 1952 Mahmood Hussein Mattan became the last to be hanged at Cardiff Prison, but Mahmood had in fact been framed by the police and 45 years later his conviction was quashed. Mahmood had been a merchant seaman who had ended up settling in Cardiff and marrying a Welsh woman called Laura Williams. They lived in the Tiger Bay district of Cardiff and had three children but in 1950 had separated. Mahmood had had a number of encounters with the police and had committed some minor offences such as small thefts. His vocal distrust of the police had made him unpopular with the local force though and when Lily Volpert, a Cardiff shopkeeper, was found murdered and her shop robbed they quickly turned to Mahmood. Despite a lack of any firm evidence linking him to the crime, he became the prime suspect. Poorly represented in court and facing a hostile jury he was convicted in July 1952 and sentenced to be hanged. The sentence was carried out three months later, but the case never truly went away. His family kept the fight alive for 45 years until 1998 when his case was the first to be reviewed by the newly created Criminal Cases Review Commission. His conviction was quickly quashed and his families fight for justice was finally over.


To discuss Mahmood's case author Nadifa Mohamed joins Dan for this episode of the podcast. Her novel The Fortune Men, which has been longlisted for the Booker Prize, is based on the case and she immersed herself in the case, Mahmoud's life and the history of Cardiff's multicultural Tiger Bay area to bring this story of injustice to life.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(1487)

Ancient Irish Funeral Traditions

Ancient Irish Funeral Traditions

Have you ever been to an Irish wake? If so, you may have heard of the ancient tradition of keening or the superstition of the 'hungry grass'. In this episode, Dan is joined by the hosts of the After D...

31 Okt 202535min

What Caused Europe's Witch Hysteria?

What Caused Europe's Witch Hysteria?

Across early modern Europe, fear spread like wildfire; between the 15th and 17th centuries, tens of thousands were accused, tortured, and executed as witches. At its centre was a man named Heinrich Kr...

29 Okt 202531min

Atatürk: Fall of the Ottoman Empire

Atatürk: Fall of the Ottoman Empire

On the 19th of May, 1919, an Ottoman general stepped ashore at the Black Sea port city of Samsun. This marked the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence, and ultimately the end of the Ottoman Em...

27 Okt 202534min

Elizabeth I: Evil or Genius?

Elizabeth I: Evil or Genius?

Elizabeth I is often celebrated as one of the greatest English monarchs - but should she be? From her commanding portraits and grand speeches to her brutal suppression of dissent and controversial dec...

23 Okt 202531min

How to Survive in Renaissance England

How to Survive in Renaissance England

Quacks, wise women, barber surgeons and private madhouses - just some of the options available if you were to find yourself in ill health in the 16th and 17th centuries. Dan is joined by historian Dr ...

21 Okt 202539min

Richard II vs Henry IV

Richard II vs Henry IV

Today, we dive into the dramatic tale of two men whose rivalry changed the course of English history. We unravel the complex relationship between King Richard II and his ambitious cousin, Henry Boling...

19 Okt 202555min

How Did the Industrial Revolution Change the World?

How Did the Industrial Revolution Change the World?

Was the Industrial Revolution the most important event in human history? Dan is joined by economist and journalist Duncan Weldon to explore why exactly the industrial revolution started on the soggy a...

16 Okt 202547min

The Germans Who Rebelled Against the Nazis

The Germans Who Rebelled Against the Nazis

Today, we journey back to Berlin in the summer of 1943, where a clandestine gathering of Germany’s elite quietly plots to resist Hitler’s regime. But there is a traitor in their midst...We're joined b...

14 Okt 202538min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
henrettelsespodden
rss-historiske-romanser
rss-benadet
historier-som-endret-norge
rss-katastrofe
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
aftenposten-historie
sektledere
historier-som-endret-verden
med-egne-oyne
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
historiepodden
rss-frontkjemperne
rss-gamle-greier
taakeprat
sannhet-eller-konspirasjon
vare-historier
undersattene
nordnorsk-historie