The body responsible for investigating potential miscarriages of justice has vowed to conduct a thorough and exhaustive inquiry into the murder conviction of a former postmaster, a case now deeply entangled with the national Post Office Horizon scandal.
A Conviction Under Scrutiny
Robin Garbutt, 60, is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife, Diana, 40, in March 2010. However, legal experts and a new documentary series argue he could be the "most egregious victim" of the discredited Horizon computer system. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has now appointed a fresh case review manager to actively pursue Garbutt's application for an appeal, promising to "leave no stone unturned."
This development follows three previous unsuccessful applications by Garbutt's legal team. Dr Mike Naughton, an academic and legal campaigner, criticised the CCRC's past rejections, stating, "It is computer says no, computer says no, computer says no. Yet the evidence that led to the conviction has been discredited in my opinion."
The Role of Horizon Evidence
The prosecution's case during Garbutt's 2011 trial at Teesside Crown Court painted a picture of a man in financial difficulty, funding extravagant holidays. Crucially, evidence from the Horizon IT system was presented to the jury regarding the post office's accounts. Mark Baker, a former sub-postmasters union official with 38 years' experience, explained how the system's faulty data could have influenced the trial.
"It was quite impactful for the jury," Baker said. "If [Horizon] thought you had too much cash, you got automatic requests to give what you had spent back. But a lot of postmasters ignored it because it was wrong. It was common behaviour to do that." The suggestion is that this discredited evidence helped establish a motive for the murder.
Unresolved Questions and a Plea for a Retrial
Garbutt has always maintained that an armed robber killed his wife at their post office in the village of Melsonby, North Yorkshire, on the morning of 23 March 2010. Forensic analysis indicated Diana was struck from behind with a metal bar while asleep. Notably, Dr Naughton stresses there is "no forensic evidence whatsoever" linking Garbutt to the murder scene.
Further mysteries surround the case. The murder weapon was found to have the DNA of a North Yorkshire police officer on it, who discovered it two days after the crime. A press photograph from the day of the murder also raises questions, as the metal bar does not appear to be in the location where it was later found.
The case is explored in depth in the three-part Sky documentary 'Murder at the Post Office'. Garbutt's family, including his sister Sallie Wood, say he does not seek an easy release but demands a retrial to clear his name definitively. "He wants a retrial to prove that he has not done this," Sallie stated. "He wants a retrial to prove that beyond any doubt."
The CCRC, responding to suggestions it was not fully committed, asserted: "We reject any suggestion that we are not committed to the job. We are." The outcome of this new, active review will be awaited by many as another potential chapter in the long-running Horizon scandal.
