Postal scandal: At least 8 convictions can be linked to other IT systems used by the Post Office

At least eight convictions that predate the Horizon Post Office scandal are being reviewed by the body investigating potential miscarriages of justice, Sky News has learned.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has confirmed it is investigating several cases of former sub-postmasters affected by the Capture software.

The computerized accounting system was used in the early 1990s, before Horizon was introduced to Post Office branches from 1999 onwards.

The horizon was in the center Postal scandal and saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly convicted of stealing from their branches.

The Kroll report, commissioned by the government earlier this year, found that Capture had bugs and errors and there was a reasonable likelihood that it had also caused cash shortages.

Lord Beamish, former Labor MP Kevan Jones, has supported victims and is calling on the Government to extend current legislation to automatically overturn convictions.

The Post Office (Horizon System) Offenses Act was passed in May but does not include capture victims.

Lord Beamish told Sky News he has raised the issue with the attorney general and called for a debate in the House of Lords.

“The government will have to take this seriously,” he said. “We cannot have a situation where we have a two-tier system where people are exonerated from Horizon and the Capture cases are either forgotten or have to go through a very long legal process to get their names cleared.”

He added that he had “little faith” in the CCRC’s “ability to handle cases”, after several Horizon cases were referred to the body several years ago.

“The problem with these cases is the lack of evidence… that has been destroyed or lost so actually proving some of these cases through that process is going to be very difficult.

“That’s why I think a blanket exemption like we had with Horizon I think needs to be discussed and considered in these cases.”

The CCRC told Sky News it has five cases under review “where the Capture IT system may be a factor”.

It also said it is “seeking additional information” on eight cases referred to in the Kroll report.

The CCRC added that the time it took for a case review to be completed depended on the “complexity” of each case “and how readily available information about it is”. In a statement, it admitted: “The availability of information can be a particular obstacle in older cases.”

Chris Roberts’ mother, Liz Roberts, was convicted in 1999 of stealing £46,000 from the Post Office and spent 13 months behind bars.

Liz, who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, passed away earlier this year.

Chris said she was in prison four days before he turned 17, and he used to have “nightmares” that she was “going to die in there”.

“There was no evidence of any financial gain because they went through everything. And obviously the money wasn’t in our accounts because it wasn’t there,” he added.

Despite being offered “three offers” by the post office to plead guilty, Liz refused and was sent to prison.

Chris believes the 2019 High Court win by Horizon’s victims was a missed opportunity for the Post Office to look back on Capture cases.

“It would have been worth something then because my mother would have died knowing that everyone else knew she was innocent,” he said.

“My dad would have died if he knew the love of his life wasn’t slandered as a criminal.”

Chris wants his mother exonerated and “those actively responsible” to “stand up in court… and vindicate themselves”.

A spokesman for the Department for Business and Trade said: “We were horrified to learn of the problems with the Capture system and are working closely with the Government to carefully review Kroll’s independent report and consider what action should be taken.

“We continue to listen to postmasters and others who have shared their views on the report’s findings since it was published last month.”