Post Office scandal victims who lost everything from life savings to jail time
When sub-postmasters up and down the country had the new computer accounting system, Horizon, installed in 1999 they could not know the heartache it would soon cause.
They were assured by the Post Office it would make their lives easier but instead glitches inside its programming plunged hundreds of innocent people into a nightmare. For some, it led to financial ruin and their good names dragged through the mud. More than 700 innocent postal workers were accused of theft, fraud and false accounting, including , who lost £65,000. Many were sentenced to time behind bars and, tragically, others took their own lives.
The scandal was brought to the attention of the vast majority of the nation thanks to ITV’s docu-drama Mr Banks vs the Post Office. Behind the characters expertly portrayed were real people whose real lives were turned upside down through no fault of their own. Between the years 2000 and 2014, 736 blameless people were prosecuted by the Post Office, their lives ripped apart by bankruptcy, prison time, and reputational ruin. It has been reported Post Office staff received as many as 240 calls a day over the flawed Horizon system, according to an ex-call centre worker.
Below we take a look at some of those who were dragged into a nightmare, from which many never found their way out.
Janine Powell, Cowleymoor Post Office
Janine Powell's life was "torn apart" by the scandal (Janine Powell / SWNS)Janine Powell was falsely accused of stealing £74,000 and, in 2008, was arrested, charged and sentenced to 18 months in jail when she refused to plead guilty to a crime she did not commit. The mum of three first worked as a country clerk in 2005 before she was promoted to sub-postmaster within a few weeks. In 2007 her life was torn apart when the Horizon system was not balancing and she was provided with no support.
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She said: “You didn't have any help, I was just thrown in from the beginning with no proper training. I thought it was something I was missing - you're just sat there thinking the money is there somewhere but you didn't know where.
"I would spend six to seven hours going over and over it but it was different every time - the system just didn't make sense. I'm quite a shy person anyway I wanted to burrow my head in the sand and think it'll go away - but it didn't."
Janine served five months in prison, was put on an electronic tag for three months and then still had to go on probation. After her release Janine tried to rebuild her life but with immense difficulty. Her criminal conviction was retracted in 2022.
William Quarm, Paible Post Office
William Quarm with wife Anne (Daily Record)William Quarm, known as Bill, ran the Post Office in Paible, Western Isles, with his wife Anne. He was accused of embezzling tens of thousands of pounds from the Post Office and, fearful of going to jail, pleaded guilty to the offence in 2012.
Mr Quarm’s conviction was overturned on September 29, 2023. Tragically he did not live to be told as he died in 2012 - two years after he pleaded guilty and, in his own words - brought “shame” to his home.
His widow, Anne, said: “They (the Post Office) were making him believe that he had brought this shame on us all and the only reason he pled guilty was to try and keep him out of prison, and it was shocking. Bill came home looking dead and crying and saying 'I've had these guys bullying me from the Post Office'.
“Short of being a recluse, he was distancing himself from the family because he was so depressed and ashamed that he had brought this shame on the home.”
Lee Castleton, Bridlington Post Office
Lee Castleton's story was told on ITV's drama (Collect Unknown)Lee’s story was brought to life in ITV’s moving documentary. He was 39 when he was told he owed the Post Office £27,000 and, when he contested it in court, he lost and was forced to declare bankruptcy as he was left with more than £300,000 costs. He had called the Post Office helpline nearly 100 times in desperation thanks to the Horizon IT system. His wife suffered stress-induced seizures and the couple had to move their children to a new school because of bullying.
He said: “The only thing I'm looking for is some accountability... someone to actually say: 'That was bad, that was really bad. We shouldn't have done that'. It changed our lives completely. It was absolutely terrible and devastating."
He recently told Times Radio: “We were ostracised in Bridlington, we were abused in the streets. Our daughter was bullied. She was on the school bus and spat on by a young boy because [they thought] her father was a thief, and he’d take money from old people.”
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Sarah Burgess-Boyde, Sandyford Post Office
Sarah Burgess-Boyde was eventually acquitted (Sarah Burgess-Boyde)
She described the experience as "shattering" (Sarah Burgess-Boyde)Sarah Burgess-Boyde was excited when she became sub-postmaster in 2005. She and her partner, whose father had previously ran the business, hoped to maximise the potential of their post office. Instead Sarah lost “everything”, including her livelihood, her reputation, her savings and her mental health.
In 2009 she contacted the Post Office when they had issues but were ignored. Months later a stock taker arrived and audited the branch. Three days later she was suspended and her replacement told her previous customers she was a thief. At her trial in late 2011, Sarah was eventually acquitted, but she said the damage had been done.
She told ChronicleLive: "Until what happened, I loved it, it was the community. My customers were fabulous. They trusted me, we liked each other. But now, I've never been back, it's too painful. I just don't want to see anyone I might know. The feeling of shame sticks with you.
"Shame is so powerful - even though we have done nothing wrong. It was absolutely shattering. People might think I am hard as nails, for having got through this all, but in reality I have been so close to not living through it."
“I have lived with how they shattered my life for 15 years. As have many, many others. I lost everything in those two years. I used all of my savings to keep the business alive. I lost those savings. I lost the business. I have no pension provision, I lost my reputation.”
Peter Huxham, Starcross Post Office
Peter Huxham was found dead in 2020Peter Huxham ran the Starcross Post Office in Plymouth for 25 years and was a popular pillar of his community. In 2019 he was jailed for eight months at Exeter Crown Court, after admitting one offence of fraud. He was said to have stolen £16,000 between October 2008 and 2009. He told the court he could not explain how the money had gone missing. The judge told him he had “let the community down”.
He served eight months behind bars and in July 2020, police discovered his body at his home. His 22-year marriage disintegrated due to his ordeal, and he'd been struggling with alcoholism and mental health issues. Mr Huxham died of a suspected suicide, alone.
Tom Brown, North Kenton Post Office
Tom Brown died before justice was served (Manchester Evening News Syndication)Before Horizon, Tom Brown had been hailed as a hero by the Post Office when he fought off armed robbers five times in his 30 years and awarded the Certificate of Valour. However, in 2008 he - like sub postmasters up and down the country - was accused of stealing money. An audit found £85,000 was missing and hew was charged with two counts of false accounting. He was suspended, and in 2010, after struggling to pay bills for the shop side of his business, was made bankrupt.
In April 2017, the case was dropped on the day of the trial in Newcastle and the dad-of-one said: “I was accused of taking £85,000, but I said, ‘Don’t be stupid, there is something wrong with the computer’.” Tragically, he too died before he saw justice served.
Alan Bates, Craig-y-Don Post Office
Alan Bates, was a sub-postmaster at Craig-y-Don, Llandudno from March 1998 until November 2003Alan Bates, was a sub-postmaster at Craig-y-Don, Llandudno from March 1998 until November 2003. He and his wife had used their life savings to buy a Post Office branch. After the new Horizon computer system was introducted, he started to spot errors early on when a shortage of £6,000 appeared on his books.
Then in 2003, Alan’s contract was terminated. His careful record-keeping proved he was not at fault, but the Post Office said by then £1,200 was unaccounted for – a sum Alan said was never there in the first place and had simply appeared as a result of a glitch in the system.
Alan then led the decades-long fight against the Post Office on behalf of hundreds of subpostmasters and subpostmistresses wrongfully prosecuted and in several cases wrongly jailed.
His efforts led to him being recommended for an OBE, which he exclusively told the Mirror he turned down.
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email or visit their site to find your local branch
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