In November 1962, 20-year-old Oswald Grey, from Bog Walk, Jamaica became the last man hanged in Birmingham and the last Black man executed in Britain.

He was convicted of shooting newsagent Thomas Bates in June 1962. The evidence against him – much of which the British state has kept under wraps – is circumstantial, relying heavily on the balance of possibilities.

For a capital offence, circumstantial evidence is insufficient. The law was hasty and careless in  dealing with this young Jamaican – and he was always a Jamaican in the eyes of those who judged him.

His trial lasted less than a week, his appeal less than an hour. The Home Secretary who could have reprieved him was an open racist. Even in death, his remains have not been afforded dignity and respect.

This story – all but forgotten – is especially important at a time when narratives that challenge dominant discourses are under attack.

You can read the background to this troubling but important story in this article from the Birmingham Dispatch