An innocent man who spent 11 years and 43 days in prison for a crime he didn’t commit has demanded £37,000, which was deducted from his compensation package for board during his time in prison. Michael O’Brien, 54, was 19 when he was arrested and later charged for the murder of businessman Phillip Saunders in Cardiff in 1987. Mr Saunders, a newsagent who had been to the pub after finishing a day’s work, was found in his garden having been brutally beaten with a spade for his takings.
But it later emerged that Mr O’Brien didn’t commit the crime, and Mr Saunders’ loved ones remain without answers 37 years later. Mr O’Brien spent 11 years in prison before his conviction was quashed, and he was awarded more than £600,000 in compensation by the UK Government. However, £37,000 was deducted from that final compensation fee for things like food and lodging during those 11 years.
Charging exonerated prisoners for their board following their release by deducting it from a compensation package was common practice until the high-profile exoneration of Andrew Malkinson last year. Following public outcry, the practice was discontinued by the justice secretary. However, ex-prisoners like Mr O’Brien, exonerated before the change, have not been refunded.
Mr O’Brien, along with other exonerees, is calling on the Ministry of Justice to compensate him fully. A petition he set up has garnered over 56,000 signatures online. He expressed his grievance, stating, “What’s the logic in this? They don’t charge guilty people, they only charge innocent people. I think it’s really a final insult for what they’ve done to me and others wrongly convicted.”
The Ministry of Justice responded that the rule change does not apply retrospectively, leaving exonerees like Mr O’Brien uncompensated for board costs while in prison. Mr O’Brien, who now lives in Aberdare, highlighted the profound effects of his wrongful imprisonment, including losing his daughter, marriage breakdown, and ongoing mental health struggles due to post-traumatic stress disorder.
He emphasised the need for fair compensation for all wrongly convicted individuals who suffered similar injustices. The campaign to address this issue and secure rightful compensation continues. The Ministry of Justice maintains its stance on not compensating regarding past deductions. The ongoing battle for justice and recognition of the impact of wrongful convictions persists as exonerees seek redress.