The case of the human arm

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The Supreme Court of New South Wales in Australia is celebrating its bicentenary. A recent article highlighted some of the more unusual cases that judges there have presided over in the past 200 years. One of the most bizarre occurred in 1935. A fisherman snagged a small shark which was snatched by a larger tiger shark as it was being reeled in. The tiger shark survived and was put on display at the aquarium which then existed to Coogee Beach. After about a week in captivity, the shark seemed ill and, in front of visitors, it vomited up a human arm. A tattoo on the arm of two boxing men led to the arm being identified as belonging to a Jimmy Smith. Smith’s close friend, Patrick Brady, was arrested and charged with the murder. A Reginal Holmes, smuggler and fraudster, was to be a key witness but was murdered before the trial and Brady was eventually acquitted. What is interesting that Holmes was taken by police after a failed suicide (of himself, I gather) and a four-hour boat chase. Brady maintained his innocence until his death so who knows what really happened. The photo is of the cliffs off the Great Australian Bight. Edit: I forgot to say the authorities were able to establish that the arm had been removed before the shark ate it.