Sarah Myatt, who acted for Peter Sullivan to quash his murder conviction
How long it has taken to clear Peter's name. While Peter remained positive, it has been a long battle despite clear concerns, which was frustrating.
For me, moving from mental health law to criminal law has been fascinating and invaluable. It's shown me how fragile the human mind can be and deepened my commitment to fairness and justice — especially for those with mental health challenges or
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
19 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Supreme Court blocks car finance payouts for millions
Millions of drivers were hoping for a payout over secret car finance charges ⚖️ Sign up to the weekly Cost Of Living newsletter. Saving tips, deals and money hacks. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Supreme Court rules lenders not liable for 'hidden' car finance commission payments Decision overturns Court of Appeal ruling that had backed drivers' right to compensation Around 2m cars a year are bought on finance, many with now-banned commission deals FCA to decide within six weeks if it will set up a central compensation scheme Tens of thousands of complaints remain on hold until the watchdog makes its move A landmark ruling made today (August 1) has determined whether millions of motorists are entitled to compensation over 'hidden' commissions on car finance deals. The case centres on hire-purchase agreements signed before 2021, where car dealers acting as credit brokers received commission from lenders — without fully informing the customer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In October 2024, the Court of Appeal ruled that these undisclosed payments were unlawful and that affected drivers should be compensated. The case was brought by three motorists who were unaware dealers were being paid by lenders for arranging their finance. Two lenders, FirstRand Bank and Close Brothers, challenged that ruling in the Supreme Court, calling it an 'egregious error'. New and secondhand cars for sale on a dealership forecourt in Ellesmere Port in 2023 (Photo:) | Getty Images The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also weighed in, arguing the earlier judgment 'goes too far'. But the three motorists had fought to uphold the original ruling. The Supreme Court's decision will have major implications for car finance customers across the UK. But what exactly did it rule, and is there compensation coming down the road for millions of drivers? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What is car finance? Around two million cars are bought on finance every year — but many drivers may have unknowingly paid too much in interest due to now-banned commission deals between lenders and dealerships. These so-called discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) gave sales staff a financial incentive to hike up your interest rate, leaving you with a higher monthly bill. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) banned these deals in 2021, but it's now deciding whether affected drivers should be compensated. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In the meantime, tens of thousands of complaints made to the Financial Ombudsman or through the courts were paused while the watchdog reviewed the issue. What has the Supreme Court ruled? Millions of motorists will miss out on potential compensation after the Supreme Court ruled that lenders are not liable for hidden commission payments made to car dealers as part of finance agreements. The UK's highest court overturned a previous ruling by the Court of Appeal, which had found that 'secret' commission deals — made before 2021 without the customer's fully informed consent — were unlawful. The Supreme Court sided with the lenders. Delivering the decision, Lord Reed said the appeals were allowed, ending hopes of a wider compensation scheme for millions of car finance customers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Is there compensation coming? As of now, compensation is not guaranteed, but it's still possible, depending on what the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) decides next. Though the Supreme Court's ruling on sided with the lenders, meaning they are not automatically liable for hidden commission payments - a blow to many compensation hopes - the FCA is still investigating whether drivers were treated unfairly. The FCA has said it will announce within six weeks of the ruling whether it plans to pursue a central compensation scheme. If it does go ahead, it will consult on the details for another six weeks — including who qualifies, how compensation would be calculated, and what years it would cover. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scottish Sun
19 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
I could get £10,000 back due to car finance scandal despite judges landmark ruling – but I'm devastated for others
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PIZZA delivery worker Roy Turner could be set to get £10,000 back in car finance compensation despite a landmark Supreme Court ruling in favour of banks. Roy, 57, from Tayport, bought a BMW 118D in 2016 to help his disabled wife, Elaine, with her mobility issues. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Roy Turner bought a car in 2016 to help his wife Elaine with her mobility issues Credit: Supplied He is one of millions who could still be due back cash as part of the car finance scandal as banks will still be liable to pay out claims for those hit with excessive interest, which dealers earned commission from. The UK's highest court was considering an appeal against a Court of Appeal ruling made in October last year, which were about three different claims from people who had each bought a car on credit. In each case, the car dealer made a profit on the sale of the car but also made commission for introducing the business to them - which the three people claimed they did not know about. These were known as "commission disclosure complaints" and could apply up to 99% of car finance loans. The Court of Appeal ruled in October that the firms broke the law by not telling borrowers about 'secret' commission payments. Two lenders, FirstRand Bank and Close Brothers, challenged the ruling in April, calling it a "egregious error". Today, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling in two of the cases but it does not entirely close down the path for compensation for drivers. Firstly, it upheld the judgement in the case of Mr Johnson, who was an extreme example of where excessive interest had been charged. But the UK's highest court ruled that banks are not liable for so-called secret commission payments. However, they will still be liable for discretionary commission arrangements, which applied to 40% of car finance deals. The city watchdog - The Financial Conduct Authority - has been considering a financial redress scheme for drivers over PCP and hire purchase agreements from before 2021. It is where brokers and dealers could increase the amount of interest they charge without telling them. If they did, they got increased commission. The Supreme Court ruling had put these claims on hold - but now the FCA is set to reveal within six weeks whether it will launch an industry wide compensation scheme. It is deciding whether this scheme will involve automatic compensation refunds or whether drivers will have to "opt-in". It is also looking at the interest rates for compensation payments. Payouts could have been as high as £44billion for the scandal in total if the Court of Appeal decision had been upheld, but now they are now expected to be around £20billion. This will be a big win for the banks and disappointing for affected drivers - but you could still get cash. Roy had a discretionary commission arrangement for his car, so could still get a payout. Commenting on the ruling, he said: "These companies have been robbing the poor to benefit the rich. I'm devastated for others." Roy bought his car for £8,650, but the cost of the credit was an eye-watering £9,356, bringing his total bill to £17,996. He said the car dealer, John Clark Aberdeen, did not do an affordability check to see if he could afford the monthly repayments, even though he had a bad credit rating. The monthly repayments were £157 a month, and he was charged an interest rate of 39.1% APR. The term of the loan was five years. Roy said that he cannot remember having a conversation about any commission he would have to pay for. 'It's been stressful - it was hard to afford the car loan,' he said. 'I was struggling to afford phone bills. If the car needed repair work or an MOT, I would need to borrow money from friends. It was very embarrassing. 'I wish I never took it out because of the interest rate.' Roy decided to ring legal firm Courmac Legal after watching an advert on television about the mis-selling scandal. The firm has put in a claim on his behalf, and says that while his lender, Advantage Finance, has not disclosed the level of commission charged, his claim could be worth as much as £10,000. 'I feel disgusted,' Roy said. 'I was completely misled by the dealer and lender when I took out a loan to buy my car. 'The financial impact on my family of the hidden commission was considerable and I've been fighting to get the compensation I'm owed. 'I felt like a fool for paying all that money for a car.' Roy's local MP, Wendy Chamberlain, said she was 'shocked' to hear about Roy's case. She said: 'Loans must be transparent practices, not riddled with hidden commissions for those who sell them at the expense of honest people's hard-earned money.' Advantage Finance and John Clark Aberdeen were contacted for comment. Who can claim? That has not been confirmed but anyone who had a car, van or motorbike on PCP or hire purchases before January 28 2021 could be due back £1,000s. More than 23million people believe they could be in line for compensation, polling by consumer law firm Slater and Gordon suggests. Consumer groups have estimated that motorists took out more than 30million car loans over those years. The FCA will decide who and how this will work within six weeks of today's judgement. It has said it may even do it without the need for people to reclaim, with firms ordered to make automatic refunds. It is likely that you won't be able to complain about agreements taken out before April 6 2007, as this is when the Financial Ombudsman took over motor finance complaints, but the exact rules are still being worked out. DCAs were banned after January 2021, so anyone who took out an agreement after this time wouldn't be able to claim. How to claim While we wait for the FCA to reveal it's plans you can still lodge a claim. If you think you should be compensated, consumer finance website has a free email template to help you complain to your finance provider. You can also complain directly to your provider without using the template. Anyone who took out car finance and could be eligible should file a claim, even if their previous one was denied. In your complaint, ask whether you were overcharged due to your broker receiving a commission and ask the company to rectify this if it happened. If you are not happy with the company's response then you can escalate your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free. You have until July 29, 2026, or up to 15 months from the date of the company's final response letter to do so, whichever is longer.
Daily Mail
19 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Stepfather of grooming gang fantasist Eleanor Williams dies after being attacked in family home
The stepfather of grooming gang fantasist Eleanor Williams has died nearly three weeks after he was allegedly attacked inside the family home — with police now expected to launch a murder investigation. Ronnie Johnston, 57, died 20 days after suffering catastrophic injuries in an alleged assault that led to the arrest of a 54-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man. The incident took place at the end-terrace house on Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness — the childhood home of Williams, 24, whose lies about being trafficked by an Asian grooming gang tore the Cumbrian town apart. A spokesman for Cumbria Police said: 'A police investigation is on-going after a man who suffered life-threatening injuries following an incident in Barrow, has died. 'On 12 July 2025, emergency services attended an address in Teasdale Road in Barrow following a report of two people having suffered injuries inside the address. 'A 57-year-old man was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died overnight on Tuesday (29 July) into Wednesday (30 July). 'A 19-year-old who suffered a broken arm was arrested on the evening of 12 July 2025 on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. He was subsequently released on police bail and remains on police bail whilst investigations into the incident remain on-going. 'A 54-year-old woman arrested at the same address on the same evening also remains on police bail.' Painter and decorator Mr Johnston was discovered with life-threatening injuries at the end-terrace property in Teasdale Road shortly before midnight on Saturday July 12. He is the husband of Williams' mother Allison Williams, who stood by her daughter as she falsely claimed she was trafficked and beaten by an Asian gang in Cumbria. She alleged she had been brutally raped and trafficked across the north of England and overseas in a string of Facebook posts in May 2020, shared more than 100,000 times. Her purported ordeal sparked protests and months of unrest in her home town, and prompted thousands to donate cash. Williams was later convicted of perverting the course of justice when her dramatic accounts were exposed as being completely fantastical. A trial at Preston Crown Court heard Williams inflicted the wounds herself using a hammer and she was jailed for eight-and-a-half years in March 2023. Three men falsely accused over a three-year period were driven to the brink of suicide after being targeted. One of them - Jordan Trengove - spent more than 70 days in prison, sharing a cell with a convicted sex offender after he was charged as a result of Williams' bogus claims. Ms Williams, 54, a former Labour councillor, was later accused of refusing to return £22,000 donated by well-wishers. She later said she donated the funds to two homeless charities. Williams was released from prison in January under the Government's early release scheme designed to free up space in prisons. The serial liar was revealed by Daily Mail to be making a 'new life for herself' outside of Barrow. A source said: 'She was a model prisoner and she was no threat to society at all. 'She was working during her time in jail as a receptionist for an electrical equipment company and proved to the authorities that she was suitable to be released. 'She's currently living outside Barrow and doesn't know whether she'll be able to return. 'It's an isolated town where everyone is involved in everyone else's business which would make life impossible for her at the moment.' Cumbria Police added: 'Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, referring to incident 355 of July 12. 'Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.'
