Canterbury sub-postmistress conviction referred to appeal court

Christian FullerBBC Information, South EastHandoutPatricia Owen (proper) died in 2003 earlier than particulars of the Publish Workplace scandal got here to lightThe first legal conviction linked to the Publish Workplace Seize system has been referred to the Court docket of Attraction.The case of Patricia Owen, who was discovered responsible of 5 counts of theft in June 1998, has been referred on the grounds that it was an abuse of course of, the Prison Circumstances Overview Fee (CCRC) mentioned.Ms Owen was convicted of theft from the Broad Oak Publish Workplace department in Sweechgate, close to Canterbury, over a shortfall of £6,000.The previous sub-postmistress used the Seize system, a precursor to the Horizon software program, which has been answerable for virtually 1,000 wrongful convictions.She obtained a sentence of six months’ imprisonment, suspended for 2 years.The case is to be despatched to the Court docket of Attraction posthumously following an software by Ms Owen’s household after her dying in 2003.’Landmark second’The CCRC mentioned in March that it was analyzing 27 circumstances to find out whether or not the Seize accounting software program performed an element in convictions.An unbiased report into Seize was commissioned final 12 months after subpostmasters mentioned that they had suffered comparable issues to these confronted by the Horizon victims.The CCRC mentioned it has despatched greater than 70 circumstances related to the Publish Workplace Horizon scandal to the enchantment courts.Solicitor Neil Hudgell mentioned the referral was a “massively constructive step”.”That is one other landmark second within the persevering with marketing campaign to make sure all those that had been wrongly prosecuted by the hands of the Publish Workplace have their names cleared,” he mentioned.”Those that had been affected by Seize have suffered the longest of all.”In an announcement, the Division for Enterprise and Commerce mentioned: “We recognise that postmasters have endured immeasurable struggling, and we’re working intently with these affected by Seize software program to create a brand new redress scheme.”Making certain postmasters are handled with dignity and respect is our absolute precedence, and we are going to proceed to hearken to those that have been sharing their tales and work with the CCRC to assist them with their overview of the Seize system.”