Published: Wednesday, 31st December, 2008 8:20am

Cleared Dunfermline lifer holding out for £1 million in compensation

by Gary Fitzpatrick

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Pic by: Dunfermline Press

MISCARRIAGE of justice victim Steven Johnston is starting the New Year still seeking compensation for the 10 years he spent behind bars.

Mr Johnston (45), of Oakley, says he will not settle for any less than £1 million after his decade inside.

He eventually had his murder conviction overturned along with Billy Allison, after they were jailed for the 1996 death of Drew Forsyth in Dunfermline.

The third anniversary of their release is coming up in March and still the compensation issue has to be resolved.

Two police officers involved in the investigation into Mr Forsyth’s death have now been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Mr Johnston has already rejected a compensation offer of £440,000 and has not yet received any new proposal.

“I’m hoping there will be some developments in the New Year but I’ve not had anything else offered until now,” he said.

“I won’t settle for anything under £1 million and I don’t think I should, having spent ten years in jail.

“I’ve had an interim payment to tide me over but that’s going fast so it’s time this was sorted out.”

Of the recent court appearance by the police officers, Mr Johnston said, “I’ll definitely be there when the case comes up.”

Dunfermline MP Willie Rennie said, “It’s a disgrace that the state is not quicker to accept responsibility in these cases where people have been wrongfully imprisoned.

“In the case of Steven Johnston, to have spent 10 years wrongfully in prison must have been agony and delays in the compensation process will only add to that.

“People who come out of prison after a miscarriage of justice are left in limbo.

"People who are guilty are far better supported because the system is set up to help them.

“The miscarriage of justice victims have a lot of issues to deal with, not least the lingering suspicions that some people have even though they have been cleared.”

Mr Rennie said the compensation system was complicated and claimants had to prove their earnings from years ago before they were jailed.

John McManus, of the miscarriage of justice support group MOJO, said, “These things drag on because they’re treated like civil cases with a part-time assessor and it doesn’t reflect the level of trauma involved.

"There’s simply not enough help available for people in this situation.

“I know there’s people in the Scottish Government trying to push things along but it’s all been dragging on for too long.

“Colin Stagg got a large pay-out for the time he spent on remand because the police tried to stitch him up (for the Rachel Nickell murder).

"In Stevie and Billy’s case, it was 10 years they spent in jail. If they can make a big pay-out in the Colin Stagg case then why not here?”