Appeal launched for murder victim’s headstone to be replaced

Martin Shipton

One of Wales’ best known miscarriage of justice victims has launched a fundraising drive to buy a new headstone for the grave of the businessman he was falsely accused of murdering.

Michael O’Brien is one of three men who were wrongly convicted of the 1987 murder of newsagent Phillip Saunders at his home in Canton, Cardiff.

The trio were eventually released after spending more than 11 years in prison. Their convictions were quashed and South Wales Police’s Chief Constable later made a public apology.

In a statement just published on the GoFundMe website, Mr O’Brien says: “Hi my name is Michael O’Brien. I was wrongly accused of killing Mr Phillip Saunders in 1987 and spent 11 years and 43 days in prison before proving I was innocent. Since my release I have championed the cause of the victim’s family to get it reopened and after 40 years South Wales Police have reopened the case and are actively looking to find the true killer.

“Recently I found out where Mr Saunders was buried and went up to see him and put flowers on his grave. It hit home to me that not only is the killer still at large but due to the passage of time Mr Saunders’ headstone had perished and was no longer there. I feel the public have forgotten him too and wanted to do something so he was not forgotten.

“I am here today to raise funds for a new headstone for Mr Saunders. He deserves to be remembered and deserves a new one. Please join me and support me in my efforts to raise these funds, which will be handed over to Mr Saunders’ family.

“Mr Phillip Saunders was brutally murdered and I will continue to fight to have the real perpetrator put behind bars too. I would be grateful if you can support me in my efforts.”

Since being released from prison, Mr O’Brien has campaigned for a public inquiry into a series of miscarriage of justice cases involving South Wales Police. While the case for such an inquiry has not been accepted, the force has reopened the murder case with a view to bringing the real killer or killers In 2022 Mr O’Brien finally came face-to-face with Mr Saunders’ family in an emotional meeting filmed by Sky TV. He met Phillip’s sister Phoebe, now 96, and her son David.

Phoebe, who fears dying without seeing justice for her brother, told Michael: “It’s good to meet you. You can’t put a plaster over to repair what this has done to you or your family or anything. You can’t bandage it up.

“That’s why we can feel for you. Because we know what you’ve been through. I am glad that we agreed to see you. We have often thought of you. I feel very relieved and glad.

“All I hope is that I am still alive when they find out who really did it.”

A tearful David, now 67, told Mr O’Brien: “My heart goes out for what you went through.”

‘Painful’

At the time Mr O’Brien said: “It was wonderful to meet them, but it was very painful. It’s something I have been waiting for, for a very long time. I cannot empathise with them enough and am so desperate for them to see justice because Phillip’s killer is still at large and that bothers me greatly.

“It’s bad enough what happened to me but the family has been lost in this miscarriage of justice – I have been championing their cause since the day I walked out of prison. They are the primary victims here and I am only a secondary victim because of what they went through.”

Speaking about his decision to launch the headstone appeal, Mr O’Brien told Nation.Cymru: “I went to Cathays Cemetery [in Cardiff] and couldn’t believe the state the grave was in. Buying a new headstone for Mr Saunders is a worthwhile cause.

“The cemetery is close to the University Hospital of Wales, which is where Mr Saunders had a shop in the concourse. He also had a kiosk at the old Cardiff Bus Station.”

Donations to the headstone appeal can be made here. 

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