A group of former Post Office workers have had their convictions set aside following referral by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
All five individuals had pleaded guilty at magistrates’ court, but argued their convictions were unsafe because their cases featured evidence from the now-discredited Horizon computer system.
The convictions of Andrew Gilbertson, Ian Davies, Therese Gooding, and Amer Hussein, along with that of a fifth former sub-postmaster who did not want to be named, were set aside at Southwark Crown Court.
Davies pleaded guilty to charges of false accounting at Swansea Magistrates’ Court in October 2006. He was fined £500.
Gilbertson pleaded guilty to the theft of £24,870 at Manchester Magistrates’ Court in March 2002. He was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, at Manchester Crown Court.
Gooding pleaded guilty to charges of theft and false accounting at Wirral Magistrates’ Court in March 2001. She was sentenced to 200 hours’ community service at Liverpool Crown Court.
Hussain pleaded guilty to the theft of £3,367 at Bristol Magistrates’ Court in August 2005. He was sentenced to a community punishment and curfew order and was ordered to pay compensation of £6,746.85.
As all five had pleaded guilty at magistrates’ court, they were previously unable to appeal their convictions. The CCRC found there was a ‘real possibility’ that the Crown court would conclude that the convictions depended on flawed Horizon computer data and would therefore allow the appeals.
The CCRC has so far sent 68 Post Office cases to the appellate courts. This makes the Horizon debacle ‘the most widespread miscarriage of justice the organisation has ever reviewed’. The body says there may be ‘many more unchallenged potentially unjust convictions’.
CCRC chair Helen Pitcher said: ‘The CCRC has remained at the forefront of Post Office Horizon cases and continues to raise awareness of the options open to convicted sub-postmasters and counter staff. Anybody who believes a conviction was due to problems with the Horizon computer system can consider challenging their conviction and these latest cases referred by us to the appeal courts confirm this.
‘Our service is free and there is no time limit to applying to us. People can also apply on behalf of somebody else, including people who have passed away.’
The body is urging any convicted former Post Office worker who believes their conviction might be unsafe to get in touch. Though former workers will be able to appeal directly to the courts, those who have already been unsuccessful on appeal or who have pleaded guilty in a magistrates’ courts are still encouraged to apply to the CCRC to review their case.
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