Practically every day of the year is a landmark of some sort in the annals of crime. Here’s where you can find out what happened this week in years gone by...
Stories from the week beginning July 30th.
A Deadly Insult
On September 13th, 1929, Rauffie Uddin, 24, was in court, accused of the murder of a fellow-lascar seaman, Aktar Ali. The court heard that the two were crew-members of the SS Bhamo, and while their ship was berthed at Birkenhead Docks Uddin had lent Ali five shillings. Uddin claimed that when he asked for repayment, Ali threw a shoe at him. Ali was a Hindu, Uddin a Muslim, and the court was told that the throwing of a shoe at a Muslim was considered a great insult to his God.
The prosecutor said that on the morning of AUGUST 4th, the day after the incident, the two men were seen arguing near their ship’s engine-room, and Uddin stabbed Ali in the back as the Hindu moved away. Although they had just been having an altercation, Uddin protested his innocence, claiming he had gone to the dying man’s aid, and that the knife was in his hand because he had picked it up.
Although Mr. Justice Hawke told the jury they must judge the degree of provocation by English standards, they convicted Uddin only of manslaughter and he was jailed for 10 years.
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