Victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal are advocating for a re-examination of the case involving Robin Garbutt, a sub-postmaster convicted in 2011 for the murder of his wife, Diana Garbutt, in North Yorkshire. The trial relied heavily on data from the flawed Horizon computer system, which has been implicated in the wrongful prosecution of numerous sub-postmasters.
Garbutt’s wife was found dead in their home above the Post Office in Melsonby in 2010, having suffered head injuries inflicted by a metal bar. Garbutt reported that an armed robber had forced him to open the Post Office safe, where he claimed £16,000 was stolen, and that he discovered his wife’s body upon returning upstairs. However, prosecutors contended that Garbutt had staged the robbery after stealing funds from the branch.
His legal team submitted a fourth application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to have the case reviewed; previous attempts to appeal have been unsuccessful. The CCRC is currently evaluating the new submission, which claims to incorporate new evidence and developments. Dr. Michael Naughton, who assisted in preparing the application, stated that a significant portion of the evidence used in Garbutt’s original trial is now considered invalid.
The calls for a retrial include support from former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton, who was wrongfully convicted due to the Horizon system’s errors. He emphasized the need for a judicial review based on the changing circumstances surrounding the case.
Diana’s mother continues to maintain her belief in Garbutt’s guilt and has declined further comment after recent outreach. The North Yorkshire Police, which handled the initial investigation, has not provided additional information regarding the case or the ongoing review by the CCRC.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2d77wrgd6o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss