He was one of the few survivors of the sinking of the ship RMS Lancastria on 17 June 1941, and shared a life raft with Cunard Line Captain Harry Grattidge.
In spite of questionable testimony and poor forensic evidence (O'Connor was in the possession of a pocket watch police claimed belonged to the murdered man), he was found guilty and sentenced to death.
Still trying to clear his name with a full pardon, O'Connor met and fell in love with barrister Nemone Lethbridge, who had joined his cause for complete exoneration.
When their marriage was made public in 1962, with the stigma of O'Connor still being out "At Her Majesty's Pleasure", Lethbridge was forced out of chambers and left unable to practise law.
With his earnings as an author, as well as a received television plays by Lethbridge, the couple bought a villa on the isle of Mykonos, spending time with the likes of Aristotle and Jackie Onassis.
Released in 1965, Tap on the Shoulder, Three Clear Sundays and The Profile of a Gentleman drew from O'Connor's experiences in prison and the people he grew up with in the West End.
O'Connor continued to write for television and regained some acclaim with the 1973 Play for Today episode "On Her Majesty's Pleasure" which brought critical attention to actor Bob Hoskins.