Latest news with #PostOfficeScandal
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Canterbury sub-postmistress conviction referred to appeal court
The first criminal conviction linked to the Post Office Capture system has been referred to the Court of case of Patricia Owen, who was found guilty of five counts of theft in June 1998, has been referred on the grounds that it was an abuse of process, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) Owen was convicted of theft from the Broad Oak Post Office branch in Sweechgate, near Canterbury, over a shortfall of £6, former sub-postmistress used the Capture system, a precursor to the Horizon software, which has been responsible for almost 1,000 wrongful convictions. She received a sentence of six months' imprisonment, suspended for two case is to be sent to the Court of Appeal posthumously following an application by Ms Owen's family after her death in 2003. 'Landmark moment' The CCRC said in March that it was examining 27 cases to determine whether the Capture accounting software played a part in independent report into Capture was commissioned last year after subpostmasters said they had suffered similar problems to those faced by the Horizon CCRC said it has sent more than 70 cases associated with the Post Office Horizon scandal to the appeal courts. Solicitor Neil Hudgell said the referral was a "hugely positive step"."This is another landmark moment in the continuing campaign to ensure all those who were wrongly prosecuted at the hands of the Post Office have their names cleared," he said."Those who were affected by Capture have suffered the longest of all." In a statement, the Department for Business and Trade said: "We recognise that postmasters have endured immeasurable suffering, and we are working closely with those affected by Capture software to create a new redress scheme."Ensuring postmasters are treated with dignity and respect is our absolute priority, and we will continue to listen to those who have been sharing their stories and work with the CCRC to support them with their review of the Capture system."
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
First criminal conviction linked to Capture referred to Court of Appeal
The first criminal conviction linked to the Post Office Capture system has been referred to the Court of Appeal. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) said the case of Patricia Owen, who was found guilty of five counts of theft in June 1998, has been referred on the grounds that it was an abuse of process. Mrs Owen pleaded not guilty to all five charges after the Broad Oak Post Office branch in Sweechgate, Canterbury, was left with a shortfall of £6,000. She received a sentence of six months' imprisonment, suspended for two years. The case is being sent to the Court of Appeal posthumously following an application by Mrs Owen's family after she died in 2003. Mrs Owen's legal team stood down an independent IT specialist on the day of her trial despite Adrian Montagu's report concluding that 'bugs and errors existed in sufficiently significant numbers and seriousness' and that any evidence relying on the system 'must be regarded as very unsafe'. The CCRC said in March that it was examining 27 cases to determine whether the Capture accounting software played a part in convictions. The Capture system pre-dated the now infamous Horizon software – which has been responsible for almost 1,000 wrongful convictions. An independent report into Capture was commissioned last year after subpostmasters said they had suffered similar problems to those faced by the Horizon victims. The CCRC said it has sent more than 70 cases associated with the Post Office Horizon scandal to the appeal courts. Solicitor Neil Hudgell, whose firm Hudgell Solicitors represents more than 100 people affected by the Capture system, said the referral is a 'hugely positive step'. He said: 'This is another landmark moment in the continuing campaign to ensure all those who were wrongly prosecuted at the hands of the Post Office have their names cleared. 'Those who were affected by Capture have suffered the longest of all. 'It is important to recognise that we await the Post Office's position on this matter, and whether it will offer any evidence against Mrs Owen's conviction being overturned, and then of course the Court of Appeal's decision itself. 'I was always struck by how Mrs Owen protested her innocence throughout, pointing the finger of blame at the system. 'Why compelling IT evidence was not used in court remains a mystery. 'However, this is a hugely positive step, and we hope this is the first of many cases to be referred for consideration.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
First criminal conviction linked to Capture referred to Court of Appeal
The first criminal conviction linked to the Post Office Capture system has been referred to the Court of Appeal. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) said the case of Patricia Owen, who was found guilty of five counts of theft in June 1998, has been referred on the grounds that it was an abuse of process. Mrs Owen pleaded not guilty to all five charges after the Broad Oak Post Office branch in Sweechgate, Canterbury, was left with a shortfall of £6,000. She received a sentence of six months' imprisonment, suspended for two years. The case is being sent to the Court of Appeal posthumously following an application by Mrs Owen's family after she died in 2003. Mrs Owen's legal team stood down an independent IT specialist on the day of her trial despite Adrian Montagu's report concluding that 'bugs and errors existed in sufficiently significant numbers and seriousness' and that any evidence relying on the system 'must be regarded as very unsafe'. The CCRC said in March that it was examining 27 cases to determine whether the Capture accounting software played a part in convictions. The Capture system pre-dated the now infamous Horizon software – which has been responsible for almost 1,000 wrongful convictions. An independent report into Capture was commissioned last year after subpostmasters said they had suffered similar problems to those faced by the Horizon victims. The CCRC said it has sent more than 70 cases associated with the Post Office Horizon scandal to the appeal courts. Solicitor Neil Hudgell, whose firm Hudgell Solicitors represents more than 100 people affected by the Capture system, said the referral is a 'hugely positive step'. He said: 'This is another landmark moment in the continuing campaign to ensure all those who were wrongly prosecuted at the hands of the Post Office have their names cleared. 'Those who were affected by Capture have suffered the longest of all. 'It is important to recognise that we await the Post Office's position on this matter, and whether it will offer any evidence against Mrs Owen's conviction being overturned, and then of course the Court of Appeal's decision itself. 'I was always struck by how Mrs Owen protested her innocence throughout, pointing the finger of blame at the system. 'Why compelling IT evidence was not used in court remains a mystery. 'However, this is a hugely positive step, and we hope this is the first of many cases to be referred for consideration.'
Sky News
3 days ago
- Sky News
First Post Office Capture conviction referred to Court of Appeal
The first Post Office Capture conviction is to be sent to the Court of Appeal, Sky News understands, in a "breakthrough" moment in the IT scandal. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has decided to refer the case of sub-postmistress Patricia Owen, who was convicted in 1998 of theft. Mrs Owen was found guilty by a jury based on evidence from the faulty IT software Capture, which was used in 2,500 branches between 1992 and 1999, before the Horizon Post Office scandal. It comes after Sky News revealed that a damning report into Capture, which could help overturn criminal convictions, had been unearthed after nearly 30 years. The decision to refer the first-ever Capture case to the Court of Appeal has been made on the grounds that Mrs Owen's prosecution was an "abuse of process". The development has been described by victims' lawyer Neil Hudgell as "hugely pivotal". "The Court of Appeal don't receive that many referrals that start at the CCRC, and most get turned away, so it's a very high bar to even get cases from the CCRC to the Court of Appeal…" "I think it will be a real shot in the arm to all the other Capture victims who are waiting for their cases to be determined by the CCRC." Mr Hudgell described the report found earlier this year - written by computer experts in 1998 and highly critical of Capture - as "significantly tipping the balance". Sky News found that the Post Office knew about the report at the time and continued to prosecute sub-postmasters based on Capture evidence. Pat Owen always maintained her innocence but died in 2003 with a criminal record before the wider Post Office scandal came to light. Her daughter Juliet Shardlow said she cried when she heard the news that her mother's case would be referred to the Court of Appeal. "I feel angry that she is not here because she died before her time… we will be there - we will be sitting there in that front row. "I can't put it into words because it's still all a shock that we are where we are and that later this year, or next year, we might have what we set out to get… justice for her." The CCRC is currently investigating 30 cases potentially related to the Capture software system. Twenty-seven of those cases are now assigned to case review managers and under "active review", with a further three cases in the preparatory stages. The CCRC has described a "challenge" over determining "whether cases involved the use of Capture at the time of the alleged offences". In a letter written to Liam Byrne, chair of the Business and Trade Committee, and seen by Sky News, it said that information the Post Office has provided "does not, in most cases, show whether it was installed and in operation at the time of the alleged offending". It also mentioned that the Post Office is reviewing "a significant amount of data which may contain further information".
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Fujitsu ‘kicking can down the road' on compensation, says Post Office campaigner
Fujitsu are 'kicking the can down the road' on compensation for its role in the Post Office scandal, a leading campaigner has told Parliament. Conservative peer Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom, who played a pivotal role in exposing the outrage, accused the Japanese tech giant of holding out with a view to reducing the amount it would ultimately have to pay. He argued the only way to change the under-fire company's attitude would be for the Government to stop awarding it contracts. Despite its involvement in the Post Office debacle, the firm has continued to secure multimillion-pound deals with Whitehall, bankrolled by the taxpayer. Fujitsu has already acknowledged it has a 'moral obligation' to contribute to compensation, pending the outcome of the public inquiry led by Sir Wyn Williams. The firm has come under renewed pressure after the publication of the first part of Sir Wyn's final report. It found around 1,000 people were wrongly prosecuted and convicted after Fujitsu's defective Horizon accounting system made it appear that money was missing at their Post Office branches. Some victims were sent to prison or financially ruined, others were shunned by their communities, and some took their own lives. The long-running battle for justice accelerated dramatically after ITV broadcast the drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which highlighted the scandal. Sir Wyn said around 10,000 people are eligible to submit compensation claims following what has been dubbed as the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history. Speaking in Parliament, Lord Arbuthnot said: 'This matter has taken place over many years, under Labour ministers, Lib Dem ministers, Conservative ministers, 'We should all, frankly, hang our heads in shame.' He added: 'I went along to The Oval last week to listen to Sir Wyn give his excellent report, and he used a telling phrase about Fujitsu, namely that they were kicking the can down the road. 'That's exactly what they are doing. 'The longer they think they can stave off paying a single penny towards the victims of this matter, the less they think they will have to pay. 'Does the Government recognise that the only way we can change that behaviour is to stop giving them contracts?' Responding, business minister Baroness Jones of Whitchurch said: 'I must pay absolute tribute to him for all of his involvement in this running scandal over many years, and for helping to bring the scandal to light.' She said the Government was in 'active dialogue' with Fujitsu on the issue of compensation. The company has said it will not bid for contracts 'with new Government customers' until the Post Office Horizon inquiry concludes. However, this still leaves it open to tender for work with existing Whitehall clients or 'where there is an agreed need for Fujitsu's skills and capabilities'. Latest figures show a further 12 new deals had been struck with the company over the last year, in addition to extensions of existing contracts. The Government has said the majority are for services already provided by Fujitsu and were put in place to ensure continuity of services. Lady Jones told peers: 'The extent of Fujitsu's role on the scandal is not fully known, and therefore we feel it would be inappropriate for the Government to take further action until we have all parts of the inquiry before us.' A Fujitsu spokesperson said: 'We have apologised for, and deeply regret, our role in subpostmasters' suffering. We hope for a swift resolution that ensures a just outcome for the victims. 'We are considering the recommendations set out by Sir Wyn in volume one of the inquiry's report, and are engaged with Government regarding Fujitsu's contribution to compensation.'
