COMPENSATION for an Irishman wrongly jailed in England for 27 years has been capped at just £100 per day of his time in prison, and has still to be settled a year after his release.

Seán Hodgson (58) was released from custody in the UK last year having been wrongly convicted of the 1979 murder of Teresa De Simone, who was found raped and strangled in her car outside a Southampton pub.

Despite the £1m cap – around £100 (€110) per day of incarceration – on compensation for miscarriages of justice, Hodgson's solicitor hopes further significant damages can be obtained from the UK Forensic Science Service (FSS), whose failure to provide evidence led to the innocent man spending a further 10 years behind bars.

Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Julian Young said he sent a letter to the FSS last week ahead of possible legal action aimed at securing "enough so that he will not have to worry financially for the rest of his life".

The solicitor is also investigating the possibility of winning compensation from the police – which may be liable on the grounds that it failed to keep a constant review of Hodgson's case.

Even if the UK government hands over the full £1m compensation payout for the miscarriage of justice, there is a provision in law which would allow it to claim back a proportion of the money to pay towards the cost of Hodgson's incarceration.

"The system let my client down badly and I hope he will not have to worry about matters of court or solicitors and that it can be settled swiftly and he can get on with his life," said Young.

Hodgson, who is originally from Co Wexford, has a history of mental illness and has been diagnosed a compulsive liar with "severe personality disorder". For some time he had insisted he was De Simone's killer, offering police a detailed account of her death before eventually pleading innocence.

"I hope that his compensation would all be sorted out within a year," said Young.

Since his release, Hodgson has led a quiet life in England. He has bought a dog, remains in touch with old friends and family and has begun a course in computers – something that barely existed when he was sent to prison. He has also bought a cottage with funds from an interim payment from the British government.

He has been allocated a financial supervisor who will, under the supervision of the court system, help him with monetary decisions.

Hodgson was acquitted of De Simone's murder thanks to developments in DNA testing which proved he was not the killer. A Devon man named David Lace was eventually identified as the perpetrator, but he later committed suicide.

The Irishman's imprisonment was needlessly extended when, 10 years ago, the FSS incorrectly stated that none of the original exhibits in the case had been retained.