Postmasters and travesy of justice continues – Yorkshire Post Letters

From: John Chester, Leeds.
By YP Letters
Published 31st May 2021, 16:45 BST
Updated 31st May 2021, 17:01 BST
Former post office worker Noel Thomas, who was convicted of false accounting in 2006, celebrates with his daughter Sian outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after having his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal. Picture: Yui Mok/PA WireFormer post office worker Noel Thomas, who was convicted of false accounting in 2006, celebrates with his daughter Sian outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after having his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal. Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Former post office worker Noel Thomas, who was convicted of false accounting in 2006, celebrates with his daughter Sian outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after having his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal. Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire

IT HAS been good to see The Yorkshire Post and its contributors standing up for postmasters in their fight for justice, as well as MPs from all sides.

Several points from the recent Court of Appeal judgement stand out. It does seem strange that hundreds of people should be deemed to have become involved in criminal activity with the same computer system. Yet individually they appeared to be given to understand that he or she was the only one involved. This surely needs clarification.

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Also, it is a puzzle that prosecutors did offer a lesser charge in that a guilty plea could avoid a prison sentence. These are innocent people. The inquiry will hopefully look into this.

Former post office worker Janet Skinner (left) speaks to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after having her conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal. Picture: Yui Mok/PA WireFormer post office worker Janet Skinner (left) speaks to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after having her conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal. Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Former post office worker Janet Skinner (left) speaks to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after having her conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal. Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire

The conclusion of the judgement was that bringing the cases “was an affront to the conscience of the court”. This must be a rarely used phrase, but a devastating one that says it all.

Surely in a civilised nation, when such a big miscarriage of justice has occurred, there must be some sort of redemption for all those who have been so badly affected by it? They deserve nothing less.

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Related topics:Yorkshire PostLeedsJohn ChesterMPs

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