Michael O'Brien

I was imprisoned for eleven years for a crime I didn't commit - the Cardiff Newsagent Murder. In My book I reveal all about the police incompetence and scapegoating which landed Me as an innocent man in prison. It also tells of my tooth-and-nail fight through the highest courts, not only to get myself free, but to gain the highest compensation payout of its kind. While in prison, l lost not only My freedom but everything I'd ever had, including his wife, his child, and even his health. But I did gain something from his time inside: a self-taught knowledge of Law, and a burning desire to help others fight for justice.

Michael A O’Brien – Survivor of one of the biggest miscarriages of justices in the UK Author, Motivational Speaker and Co-Founder of The Dylan O’Brien Foundation.

Michael A O’Brien was born in Cardiff and raised in the community of Ely the second largest council estate in Europe.

In 1987 Michael A O’Brien was dubbed “The Cardiff Newsagent Three” after he and his 2 co-accused was sentenced to life for the murder of Cardiff newsagent Phillip Saunders, Michael taught himself law to secure his release and his conviction was quashed at the court of appeal in 1999.

During his time in prison, he changed the Law 6 times and successfully took not one but two home secretaries to court, “Access to Journalists” is one of his biggest successes

After his release Michael told of his time in prison in his autobiography “The Death of Justice” published by y lolfa in 2008.

In 2012 Michael’s son Dylan lost his battle to an unknown genetic condition, which prompted Michael and his wife Claire to set up The Dylan O’Brien Foundation to raise awareness of metabolic and undiagnosed conditions.

Prison’s Exposed Michael’s second book tells the truth about what happens in prisons, both from a prisoner’s side and the prison officer. It also shows the reader how and why the system needs to be changed.

All proceeds did go to The Dylan O’Brien Foundation Registered Charity 1160424 before covid caused us to close the charity.

In 2013 Prison’s Exposed was awarded the people’s choice book of the Month and Annual Book Awards Printed Book Award voted by the public formally the Amazon Click Awards.

In January 2014 the Death of Justice was awarded book of the month and has won the book of the year in December 2014

In 2021 Michael published Killing Justice in the Lone Star State: Calling Time on Texas Death Row. Many organizations are engaged in a race to prevent the execution by lethal injection of death sentenced prisoners in Texas (and elsewhere in the USA). Some of these men and women claim to be completely innocent, as described in this book. Texas is the most punitive place within one of the harshest penal systems in the world. Michael O'Brien - who was himself wrongly convicted of murder - dissects a selection of Death Row cases with the eye of a man who has spent years watching how miscarriages of justice happen and why. He explains how practitioners, politicians and others are in denial and how livelihoods depend on a conveyer belt from the courts to the execution chamber. Aided by bias, discrimination and prejudice he describes a killing process triggered by unfair trials, supposed expert evidence and closed minds. This is just one hallmark of a country obsessed with guns, violence and the ultimate penalty. No legal system should take away human lives, especially one tarnished by defects of the kind the author sets out in this book. Extract: 'Can you just imagine being an individual who is innocent but facing execution, whether in Texas or elsewhere? Or you were on Death Row but you did not take part in any killings, just got caught up in the hysteria? Can you picture the pressure and abject loneliness of serving 15 years or more, and then the State setting a date to kill you?'

In 2021 Michael published The Dossier: Miscarriages of Justice in South Wales 1982-2016 The Dossier investigates fifteen cases of proven or alleged miscarriages of justice in south Wales between 1982 and 2016. In the first part of The Dossier Michael O'Brien presents new evidence concerning his own case, which further calls into question the actions of the police which led to his conviction. The second part of the book considers another fourteen cases for a variety of crimes including murder. These cases concern the convictions of twenty-three people, who between them have spent eighty years in prison. The earliest is Anthony Yellen, convicted of murder on a manufactured confession in 1983. The book includes the Welsh conspiracy trial, the case of the Darvel brothers in Swansea, the Cardiff Three, Jonathan Jones, the Merthyr arson case, and the Clydach murders. O’Brien calls into question methods of policing and a judicial system in which too little has changed over the past thirty years, and calls for a judicial inquiry to investigate the culture which has resulted in so many dubious and plainly wrongful convictions. No police officer has been brought to book for their part in these cases, despite the evidence produced for the convictions to be ruled unsafe. Some officers have been involved in more than one of the cases considered, and some have been promoted to senior levels in the force. Many are now retired and are no longer subject to police disciplinary procedures. How, asks O'Brien, could so many important cases have resulted in unsafe conviction, and what can be done to improve procedures in future?

Michael has overcome many traumatic events including the loss of two of his children and has used his experiences to help others with a positive mental attitude.

Michael has spoken at many events including the House of Commons, University’s in England and Wales and spoke at

the Welsh Parliament.

Michael has also assisted the Armenian Innocence Project in Armenia, as a foreign Commonwealth delegate.

MY SPECIALIST SUBJECTS

HOW TO OVERCOME TRAUMATIC EVENTS

I suffered multiple traumatic events over a number of years however I have always turned those negative events into positive ones. I spent eleven years and 43 days in prison for a crime I didn't do. I used my time wisely studying law and ended up making legal history on five separate occasions. I came out of Prison with a clutch of exams and on my release later went on to gain A levels in Law and attended Glamorgan University. I achieved all this with the mental illness of Post-traumatic stress disorder.

I wrote two award winning books The Death of Justice my Autobiography and Prisons Exposed. I hope my story will inspire others to overcome tragic events in their lives. I am a survivor.

HOW TO OVERCOME MENTAL ILLNESS

I have suffered a mental illness for the past 20 years called Post traumatic stress disorder however I have never let it stop me from achieving my goals. The first thing is acceptance of the illness, learn to live with it and focus on the things you can do and not what you cannot do. PMA is a must (Positive Mental Attitude) to achieve those aims.

One of my Aims in life is to help Inspire others who have a similar illness to achieve their goals.

HOW TO OVERCOME A LOSS OF A CHILD

Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare, losing two children is unthinkable yet it happened to me. Whilst there is no easy answer, I overcame losing my two children Kylie and Dylan and did it with a positive mental attitude. My wife and I set up a charity called The Dylan O'Brien Foundation to help other children and their families. We work with Health Boards to make things better and also supply lifesaving equipment to the hospitals in England and Wales. Kylie died of cot death aged just 3 months old. Dylan was 2 years and 4 months old when he passed away to a rare genetic disorder.

With a positive mental attitude, you can overcome anything and turn a negative situation into a positive one. I hope to use my experiences to inspire many others who have lost a child.

HOW I CHANGED THE LAW AND MADE LEGAL HISTORY.

1. R v O'Brien 1999 The O'Brien Test on Confessions and their admissibility. Court of Appeal.

2. O'Brien and Simms Ex Parte Home Secretary 1999 Access to Journalists for Prisoner's

3. O'Brien v Independent Assessor Compensation Breakdown of Award for Victims of Miscarriages of justice. 2005.

4. O'Brien v Chief Constable of South Wales Police Evidence of Similar Fact 2005.

5. O'Brien v Chief Constable of South Wales Police Civil Action 2006. Highest compensation award for a wrongful conviction.

6. O'Brien v Director of Public Prosecutions 2014

PRISON LAW AND MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE

Made legal history in relation to journalists having access to the media by prison visits. O'Brien and Simms v home Secretary of State 1999 House of Lords. Michael has worked on miscarriages of justice cases since 1987 and has been fighting and supporting them since his release in 1998.

Author and Motivational Speaker Michael O'Brien wwwcardiffnewsagentthree.com