New legislation to overturn convictions linked to the Post Office scandal cleared its final House of Commons stages last night, with local MP Stephen Crabb saying that it is still taking too long to get compensation out to those affected.
Stephen has followed this issue closely since meeting with Tim Brentnall from Roch in 2012. Mr Brentnall was one of 736 sub-postmasters caught up in the Horizon IT scandal and wrongfully convicted as a result of faults in accounting software developed by Fujitsu for Horizon. Mr Brentnall was prosecuted in 2010 after a £22,000 shortfall was discovered at his branch.
The Post Office Horizon scandal has been described as one of the UK’s most widespread miscarriages of justice, and was the subject of the recent ITV drama series ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’.
Last week, Mr Crabb organised a meeting between the Post Office Minister, Kevin Hollinrake MP, and UK Government officials to discuss the compensation process and ensure that Mr Brentnall receives the necessary support. Since 2012, Stephen Crabb has pressed Government ministers to move faster to ensure that sub-postmasters finally get justice. He ensured that Mr Brentnall’s experience formed part of the catalogue of cases that former MP James Arbuthnot used to shine a light on the scandal.
The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill, introduced to Parliament on 13 March 2024, will automatically overturn convictions for certain offences linked to the Post Office Horizon scandal. Mr Brentnall’s own conviction was quashed in the Court of Appeal on 19 July 2021.
Following the meeting, MP Crabb commented:
“I’m pleased to have been able to arrange the meeting for Tim and myself to talk through the compensation process with the Minister so that finally a line can be drawn under this awful experience for Tim and for all those affected”
“I have long been calling on the Government to take action. I am encouraged by the steps that have already been taken by Government on this with the introduction of the bill announced by the Prime Minister earlier this year. It has been an arduous and painful process to get to a point where justice is finally being served.”
“However, the speed at which compensation packages are being paid is currently too slow. It is so important that all those affected are compensated as fast as possible and I will be seeking further clarity from the Minister on this in due course.”