what happened to "presumption of innocence"?

From an actual court case.

Subramaniam v. Public Prosecutor [1956] 1 WLR 965 (PC)
Author: Jim

Facts: D charged with possession of ammunition and in defense, D claimed that he was captured by terrorists and was working under duress.  Trial court excluded the statements made by the terrorists as hearsay.

The appellant gave evidence in defence.  He called witnesses to give evidence as to his character and to support his story as to how he had been occupied for some months before his capture by the terrorists.  The appelant described his capture as this:

"..when I was just walking down a small hill, where there was lallang at the sides, a Chinese came out and asked me to halt; I did not know then he was a communist; he came from behind me.  I asked him why are you stopping me? I want to return home.  He spoke in Malay and I replied in Malay.  He then asked me: "Do you know who I am?"

and so saying he drew out a revolver from behind him; to all apperance he was a civilian; he pointed that pistol at me and said  "I am a communist" and it was then I knew that he was one.

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so the Ratio Decidendi of this court case is basically this:

when a typical chinese communist pulls out a gun and tell you he is a communist, RUN!

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

DON'T YOU
JUST LOVE IT?
 
LOVE WHAT?
 
TIFFANY'S.
 
ISN'T IT WONDERFUL?
 
SEE WHAT I MEAN,
 
HOW NOTHING BAD
COULD HAPPEN TO YOU
 
IN A PLACE LIKE THIS?
 
IT ISN'T THAT I GIVE
A HOOT ABOUT JEWELRY,
 
EXCEPT DIAMONDS,
OF COURSE.
 
LIKE THAT.
 
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
 
WELL...
 
PERSONALLY, I THINK
IT WOULD BE TACKY
 
TO WEAR DIAMONDS
BEFORE I'M 40.
 
WELL, YOU'RE RIGHT,
 
BUT MEANTIME, YOU
SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING.
 
I'LL WAIT.
 
NO. I'M GOING TO
BUY YOU A PRESENT.
 
YOU BOUGHT ME
A TYPEWRITER RIBBON,
 
AND IT BROUGHT LUCK.
 
BUT TIFFANY'S CAN BE
PRETTY EXPENSIVE.
 
I'VE GOT MY CHECK
AND $10.
 
I WOULDN'T LET YOU
CASH YOUR CHECK,
 
BUT A PRESENT
FOR $10 OR UNDER,
 
THAT I'LL ACCEPT.
 
OF COURSE, I DON'T KNOW
WHAT WE'LL FIND HERE FOR $10.
 
MAY I HELP YOU?
 
PERHAPS.
 
WE'RE LOOKING
FOR A PRESENT
 
FOR THE LADY.
 
CERTAINLY, SIR.
 
IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIAL
YOU HAD IN MIND?
 
WELL, WE HAD
CONSIDERED DIAMONDS,
 
AND I DON'T WANT
TO OFFEND YOU,
 
BUT THE LADY FEELS
THAT DIAMONDS
 
ARE TACKY FOR HER.
 
OH, I THINK THEY'RE
DIVINE ON OLDER WOMEN,
 
BUT THEY'RE NOT RIGHT
FOR ME, YOU UNDERSTAND.
 
CERTAINLY.
 
IN FAIRNESS,
I OUGHT TO EXPLAIN
 
THERE'S ALSO
A SECONDARY PROBLEM,
 
ONE OF FINANCE.
 
WE CAN ONLY AFFORD
TO SPEND...
 
A LIMITED AMOUNT.
 
MAY I ASK
HOW LIMITED?
 
$10.
 
$10.
 
THAT WAS THE OUTSIDE
FIGURE, YES.
 
I SEE.
 
DO YOU HAVE
ANYTHING FOR $10?
 
FRANKLY, MADAM,
WITHIN THAT PRICE RANGE,
 
THE VARIETY OF MERCHANDISE
IS RATHER LIMITED.
 
HOWEVER, I DO THINK
WE MIGHT HAVE--
 
LET'S SEE...
 
STRICTLY AS A NOVELTY,
YOU UNDERSTAND,
 
FOR THE LADY AND GENTLEMAN
WHO HAS EVERYTHING,
 
A STERLING SILVER
TELEPHONE DIALER.
 
THAT'S 6.75,
INCLUDING TAX.
 
A STERLING SILVER
TELEPHONE DIALER.
 
YES, SIR. THAT'S 6.75,
INCLUDING FEDERAL TAX.
 
WELL, THE PRICE
IS RIGHT,
 
BUT I MUST SAY,
 
I'D RATHER
HOPED FOR SOMETHING
 
SLIGHTLY MORE--
HOW SHALL I SAY IT--
 
ROMANTIC
IN FEELING.
 
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
 
A STERLING SILVER
TELEPHONE DIALER--
 
I CERTAINLY THINK
IT'S HANDSOME,
 
BUT, WELL,
YOU DO UNDERSTAND.
 
WELL, WE TRIED,
BUT--
 
WE COULD HAVE
SOMETHING ENGRAVED,
 
COULDN'T WE?
 
YES, I SUPPOSE SO.
 
YES, INDEED.
 
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS,
 
YOU'D HAVE TO BUY
SOMETHING FIRST
 
IN ORDER TO HAVE
SOME OBJECT
 
UPON WHICH TO
PLACE THE ENGRAVING.
 
YOU SEE THE DIFFICULTY?
 
WELL, WE COULD
HAVE THIS ENGRAVED,
 
COULDN'T WE?
 
I THINK IT WOULD
BE VERY SMART.
 
THIS, I TAKE IT,
 
WAS NOT PURCHASED
AT TIFFANY'S?
 
NO.
 
ACTUALLY,
IT WAS PURCHASED
 
CONCURRENT WITH--
WELL, ACTUALLY,
 
IT CAME INSIDE A...
 
WELL, A BOX
OF CRACKER JACK.
 
I SEE.
 
DO THEY STILL
REALLY HAVE PRIZES
 
IN CRACKER JACK BOXES?
 
OH, YES.
 
THAT'S NICE TO KNOW.
 
IT GIVES ONE A FEELING
OF SOLIDARITY,
 
ALMOST OF CONTINUITY
WITH THE PAST,
 
THAT SORT OF THING.
 
WOULD TIFFANY'S REALLY
ENGRAVE IT FOR US?
 
THEY WOULDN'T FEEL IT
BENEATH THEM OR ANYTHING?
 
WELL, IT IS RATHER
UNUSUAL, MADAM,
 
BUT I THINK YOU'LL FIND
THAT TIFFANY'S
 
IS VERY UNDERSTANDING.
 
IF YOU WOULD
TELL ME THE INITIALS,
 
I THINK WE COULD
HAVE SOMETHING READY
 
FOR YOU
IN THE MORNING.
 
DIDN'T I TELL YOU
THIS WAS A LOVELY PLACE?

in England.