Every week the Gazette will delve into its archives to see what was happening in Hackney 30 and 60 years ago. This week features an early court date for the Kray twins, back in 1956.
60 years ago
The Kray twins were back in the dock on September 18 over a stabbing outside a pub in Chapman Street, Stepney.
Then unknown “billiard hall keepers”, Ronald and Reginald were charged with GBH along with dockers William Jones and Robert Ramsey.
Prosecutor Kenneth Richardson called the attack: “A case of quite deliberate serious wounding of the most violent kind, with very little motive at all.”
Mr Martin said one of the twins came in and told him to come outside, before Ramsey entered with a sword and struck him on the head.
Outside he said Jones hit him on the head.
All the defendants were remanded to appear at the Old Bailey after pleading not guilty.
30 years ago
A disabled pensioner was tipped out of his wheelchair by cruel muggers who then slashed his wife across the face.
Mary Emerson, 62 and husband Joe, 72, were left too terrified to go out after the horrific ordeal in Burnett Close, Homerton.
They sat up in fear the night of the attack, with Mary still wearing her blood-stained apron.
They had been returning from a night at the bingo when they were attacked by two teenagers who demanded cash.
The couple’s daughter Kathleen Hunter said they were “badly shaken” and had stopped going to the pensioners’ club on the Jack Dunning Estate.
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