Sub-postmasters have wrongful convictions quashed

Three former sub-postmasters from Northern Ireland caught up in the Horizon IT scandal have received letters confirming their wrongful convictions have been quashed.

They include a woman who served an 18-month suspended sentence for offences linked to the Post Office Horizon scandal.

A law quashing convictions from the Horizon IT scandal was approved by Parliament in May.

All three received their letters from the Department of Justice last week.

In total, 26 former sub-postmasters from Northern Ireland were charged with offences after the defective Horizon computer software made it look like money had gone missing.

More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect information from the Horizon computer system. It has been called the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice.

The Post Office itself took many cases to court, prosecuting 700 people between 1999 and 2015. Another 283 cases were brought by other bodies, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Many sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and many were financially ruined.

In 2017, a group of 555 sub-postmasters took legal action against the Post Office.

In 2019, it agreed to pay them £58m in compensation, but much of the money went on legal fees.

The Metropolitan Police is investigating the Post Office over potential fraud offences.

Lee Williamson, from Castlederg, was exonerated earlier this month after the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) ended any opposition to the legal battle to clear his name.

Solicitor Michael Madden said his clients were delighted with the development and wished to remain unnamed at this stage.

"Whenever I broke the news to them by telephone, it was quite emotional for them to take in the news," he said.

"For them to come forward to get legal advice in the first place was a huge step for them," he added.

He said they were apprehensive to come forward and start the process.

"So to get the news that they were hoping for was huge for them really to take in," he said.

Mr Madden said the convictions had "ruined the lives" of his clients, "including that of a woman who served an 18-month suspended custodial sentence".

"Any postmaster who had convictions as a result of the Horizon scandal would have had their reputations destroyed."

He added: "We look forward to applying for immediate redress under the new Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme on behalf of our clients."

Mr Madden said he has other clients who are still awaiting confirmation that their convictions have been quashed by the new legislation.

"We continue to work with the DOJ in respect of more clients who are still waiting for the DOJ to complete their process of identifying convictions that have been quashed by the new Act."

A public inquiry into the Horizon scandal is ongoing and is due to resume hearings in London this week.