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The University of Southampton
Southampton Law School

When justice fails - a victim speaks of his experience

Published: 15 October 2012

A victim of miscarriage of justice will be speaking about his experiences at a talk on Wednesday 17 October to mark the official launch of the University of Southampton Innocence project.

Mike O’Brien, was convicted in 1988, along with Ellis Sherwood and Darren Hall (the so-called ‘Cardiff Newsagent Three’), for the murder and robbery of Cardiff newsagent Phillip Saunders.


The three spent more than 11 years in prison until the Court of Appeal finally quashed their convictions in 1999, after a lengthy campaign. A comprehensive inquiry revealed numerous incidents of serious police misconduct, including 'false' confession and fabrication of evidence.


Senior Lecturer Dr Jamie Maclean, who leads the Innocence Project at Southampton and has organised the event, says "Mike’s talk offers a tremendous opportunity for valuable insight into the causes and effects of miscarriages of justice."


Law students at Southampton can volunteer to work for the Innocence Project, which centres upon the study of wrongful criminal convictions. They are involved in the objective and independent investigation of real criminal cases of prisoners who maintain their factual innocence but have exhausted their legal appeals.

For further information see the events page .

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