Justice delivered for postmasters

Six former postmasters, wrongly convicted of stealing from their employer because of a flaw in the computing system, all had their names cleared after one of Britain’s biggest miscarriages of justice.

Norman Barber, 62, and wife Amanda Barber, 51, of Warrington, Cheshire, along with Mohamed Aslam, 60, Anthony John Gant, 51, of Shrewsbury, Balbir Grewal, 66, of Luton, and David Hughes, 35, also of Warrington, all admitted offences they never commited.

They had all noticed cash shortfalls in the Fujitsu-developed Horizon computer system – in use between 1999 and 2015 – but had no idea where the missing money had gone.

The Post Office had known about the issues in the accounting software at the time but failed to inform the Crown Prosecution Service about them, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Judge Deborah Taylor told the six: ‘It may have taken some time but each of these defendants walk away from the court with no stain on their character.’

They had attended court alongside supporters to see their names finally cleared.

Their convictions were quashed after a referral by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in January 2001. This takes the total number of Post Office referrals made by the CCRC to 57.

Hundreds of convicted postmasters are expected to have their names cleared as their cases make their way through the courts.

Simon Baker, QC, for the Post Office, told the court there are ‘clear and cogent reasons’ to quash the convictions for each of the appellants.

Had the CPS been aware that the Horizon system was showing shortfalls where none existed, none of the postmasters would have been prosecuted at the time, the court heard.

‘In all of these cases, the Post Office cases that were brought by the Crown Prosecution Service, verdicts of not guilty will be entered against all of the appellant for the reasons set out by the Court of Appeal in the case of Hamilton and others,’ said Judge Taylor.

Mr Aslam had pleaded guilty to false accounting at Newport Magistrates’ Court on 23rd January 2007 and was sentenced to 60 hours of unpaid work and a £300 fine.

Mrs Barber pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 6th June 2012 and was sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work.

Mr Barber also pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 6th June 2012 and was sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work.

Mr Gant pleaded guilty to false accounting at Shrewsbury and North Shropshire Magistrates’ Court on 29th October 2007 and was sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Mr Grewal pleaded guilty to false accounting at Luton Magistrates’ Court on 13th August 2001 and was sentenced to a suspended sentence and a community order.

Mr Hughes pleaded guilty to making a false instrument at Workington Magistrates’ Court and was sentence to a community order of 12 months and 100 hours of unpaid work.