Michael O'Brien, who spent 11 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit, is raising money to replace the gravestone of the man he was accused of killing. O'Brien, 58, now living in Aberdare, wants to ensure the real victim is not forgotten.
Wrongful Conviction and Exoneration
In 1988, O'Brien, along with Darren Hall and Ellis Sherwood, was found guilty of murdering Cardiff newsagent Phillip Saunders, 52, and sentenced to life in prison. Their convictions were quashed by the Court of Appeal in December 1999, and they became known as the Cardiff Newsagent Three. Saunders' murder remains unsolved.
In June, South Wales Police announced they were reviewing evidence in the case to assess potential for further forensic investigation. A force spokesperson said: "This work is being carried out by the force's Major Crime Review Unit in the hope that advances in forensic science will provide the breakthrough needed to identify who was responsible for Phillip Saunders' murder in 1987."
Campaign for Justice
Two months before the case was reopened, O'Brien had launched a petition to seek justice for Saunders and his family. He recalled meeting Saunders' sister in 2022, seeing the pain in her eyes, and promising to do all he could to get the real killer "behind bars."
O'Brien said: "It means so much to me, I've been fighting for this for many, many years. From the moment I came out of the Court of Appeal I spoke about the victim's family and said we need to catch the real killer. I'm so glad South Wales Police are taking this very, very seriously. I've criticised the police where I've had to in the past but I do think a fresh set of eyes now is very important. There's a real possibility we could find out who did this."
Impact of Visiting the Grave
Earlier this year, visiting Saunders' grave had a profound effect on O'Brien. "It was very upsetting because when I went there I think it hit home to me that the killer was still at large. It had a profound impact on me," he said. Noticing the headstone was broken, he felt compelled to act. "I felt saddened that someone as prominent as Phillip Saunders could be left like that and I wanted to do something back. I felt sad that his name isn't recognised on the gravestone because the headstone isn't there anymore."
He added: "I know I was wrongly accused of the crime but we mustn't forget about the real victim. I'm not the real victim in all of this. It's wrong for him to be forgotten about. He deserves a proper headstone to remind people what happened."
Life After Exoneration
Although O'Brien never met Saunders, he had heard wonderful things about him. "He was well-loved, well-liked and no-one had a bad word to say about him. He was a hardworking businessman, never bothered anybody and I just felt so bad about what happened to him," he said.
In the nearly 27 years since his release, O'Brien has struggled to adjust to normal life, living with complex PTSD. He has since worked on other miscarriages of justice, supported prisoners, and qualified as a TV and radio presenter, also writing multiple books. He is now hoping to raise £3,000 to £4,000 to replace the headstone.
