A Sub-Postmaster wrongfully jailed for crimes he hadn’t committed has told the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry that he agreed to take part as he wants others who also suffered to come forward and secure justice.
Noel Thomas, of Anglesey, was one of more than 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses prosecuted by the Post Office based on information from its faulty Horizon system between 2000 and 2014.
A High Court ruling in 2019 found the system contained “bugs, errors and defects”, causing a “material risk” that shortfalls in Post Office branch accounts had been caused by the system.
Mr Thomas, who worked as a postman from 1965 and became a sub-postmaster in 1994, was jailed for nine months in November 2006 having pleaded guilty to one count of false accounting.
He did so on the basis that he accepted there was a shortfall of £48,450, which at the time he had no explanation for, and that he wouldn’t mention his many issues with Horizon, which he told the inquiry he had repeatedly informed the Post Office helpline.
The first thing the Post Office were telling you was that you were the only one and that there was nobody else. At the time there was no way of finding out.
He explained how the Post Office offered a ‘plea bargain’ shortly before a Crown Court trial in 2006, meaning that rather than deny a charge of theft in front of a jury, he reluctantly admitted false accounting, in the hope he would avoid jail.
About 10 minutes before I went into court my barrister came to me and said they are offering you a bargain. He said they are going to drop the theft as long as you admit false accounting, and as long as you don’t mention Horizon. I said what does that mean, will it keep me out of jail? My barrister said hopefully. I think I did sign a piece of paper to say I wouldn’t mention Horizon.
Arrange a call back
Prison was ‘hell’ and family were ‘left to face the public’
One of 56 Core Participants represented at the Inquiry by Hudgell Solicitors, Mr Thomas, a local councillor at the time of his sentence, described the “indignity” of being jailed, how he found life in prison ‘hell’, and the impact on his, and his family’s lives.
The judge sentenced me and said nine months. I expected a suspended sentence but unfortunately he said ‘take him down’. It was awful. I didn’t expect it. I’d never been a criminal in my life and I was taken down.
I had the indignity of having to have a shower in front of the prison warden. I was taken to a cell. For eight days I wasn’t allowed out, only for my food. I had to just go out for food, for 15 minutes on the landing, and maybe half an hour on the evening.
Mr Thomas described how he was not able to contact his family for eight days, and that letters he wrote in Welsh were returned, having not reached his family, as there had been no staff to translate them, “It was horrible. The worst thing was that my family had to face the public,” he said.
Mr Thomas was supported by Hudgell Solicitors to successfully appeal against his conviction and have it quashed at the Court of Appeal last year. However, despite the Post Office admitting there were 736 convictions of Sub-Postmasters in which Horizon was ‘intrinsic’ to prosecutions – and therefore unsafe – still less than 100 people have had their convictions quashed.
Mr Thomas said he now wanted accountability for those responsible, and redemption for all who suffered.
The reason I am taking part is not for myself but hopefully I can put it over that there’s another 500 people, if not more, waiting in the background for justice.
I want justice. I want to find out who knew. Quite prominent people, when you look back, knew what was going on. They have gone on their way, gone into greener pastures, they’ve gone with their bonuses and their multi-million pound back pocket cheques and the rest of it. Why didn’t they pick it up? Why didn’t they sort it out and let it drag on like this?
The inquiry continues and will hear more ‘Human Impact’ evidence from Sub-Postmasters over the next four weeks.
If you were affected by the Post Office Horizon Scandal and are yet to secure justice, call our team today or email [email protected]
Read more: Post Office Horizon Legal Representation
