Alan Hall already has a plan for how he would spend compensation, if he was to receive it, his brother says.
Alan Hall's brothers Greg, Geoff and Robert speak outside the Supreme Court after his conviction was quashed. Photo: RNZ
Alan Hall, whose murder conviction was overturned after 37 years, spent a total of 19 years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit.
Hall was convicted of murdering Arthur Easton in his Papakura family home in 1985 when he was 23 years old.
The conviction was quashed in June this year after the Crown conceded that Hall's trial was profoundly unfair and constituted a miscarriage of justice.
He has now filed a claim for compensation, which if accepted could see the largest such payout in New Zealand history.
Hall had a "very good plan" in place for any compensation he may receive, his brother Geoff Hall told First Up.
"He's only had four walls and a door to sit and look at every night and have dreams of what he can do. Hopefully with compensation he can get to put those in practice."
Before she passed away, their mother told Alan he should write a plan for if he was to ever receive compensation.
Geoff said Alan had done just that and would like to buy a home, some land and a couple of puppies.
Compensation would give Alan a chance, Geoff said.
The claim was with Justice Minister Kiri Allan for her consideration, he said.
"Normally it would go off to a QC or somebody to advise the minister but we have asked for expedition on this because basically Crown and the Supreme Court and the Crown Law have already made very clear soundings that Alan was wrongfully convicted, and this was a serious miscarriage of justice in New Zealand."
It should be "pretty easy" for the minister to draw her conclusions, Geoff said.
He called for the minister to do what she needed to "but please don't make this drag out".
"He's done everything right and the complete legal and judicial system has failed Alan completely. There needs to be some sort of payback to Alan.
"We've got justification through the Supreme Court, they have acknowledged that Alan's gone through a great miscarriage of justice and I think it's only fair now that he gets acknowledged."
Alan loved his family and had spent time since being released living with Geoff and his children, Geoff said.
"Family is at his core, he needs to be with family. He's missed out on so much over the years, over the generations, basically he's lost grandparents, he's lost his mum, all of these Christmas parties, birthdays, all of these events that make up whānau, Alan has missed out on, he can't get those back."
"He's trying to fit a lot in that he's missed out on."
There was a lot of hard work still to do, Geoff said.
"To be wrongfully convicted and put in jail all of this time and labelled a murderer, it has a big effect on you. It's going to take him quite a bit of time to just breathe and make him feel normal.
"He's a resilient man and as he says, one day at a time. I'm there for him, we're just going to support him all the way through."
