On 16 March 1972, four British Black power activists (Winston Trew, Sterling Christie, George Griffiths and Constantine "Omar" Boucher) from the Fasimbas group were assaulted by plain clothes police officers in Oval London Underground station and falsely accused of stealing handbags.
The 'Oval 4', as they became known, were found guilty at trial and sentenced to two years in prison but were released within a year on appeal. The officer responsible for the arrest, Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell (formerly of the South Rhodesian police), would himself later be exposed for frequently falsifying evidence in order to incriminate Black men.
Eventually, their convictions were overturned in December 2019.
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