Post Office Limited (POL) “intended to pervert the course of justice” by relying on knowingly flawed cash accounts, an inquiry submission filed today alleged.
Sir Edward Henry KC, who represents former sub-postmasters Lee Castleton and Seema Misra, among others, in the Post Office scandal, made the remarks in a closing statement for the Horizon inquiry.
Writing for the legal firm Hodge Jones & Allen’s submission in Phase 4 of the inquiry, he accused Post Office lawyers and investigators of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice with Fujitsu staff in the litigation with Mr Castleton.
The former sub-postmaster owned a branch in Marine Drive, Bridlington, east Yorkshire, and was bankrupted by a lawsuit against the Post Office after a shortfall of £25,000 was flagged by his Horizon IT system.
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Sir Edward alleged that the Post Office’s reliance upon Mr Castleton’s cash accounts during litigation against him while “knowing there was expert evidence as to its unreliability, was a course of conduct which had a tendency to pervert the course of justice”.
He added: “It allowed POL to obtain judgment for a debt, and the consequent costs order, without producing reliable evidence that the debt was owed.”
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The lawyer then said: “There is evidence that this course of conduct was also maliciously intended to pervert the course of justice, because the POL group either knew that the Marine Drive cash accounts may not have been reliable, or they closed their eyes to that knowledge.
“The motive for the course of conduct may have been to protect POL, or their own jobs, and the natural consequence of the course of conduct may not have been desired as such, but that does not mean it was not intended.
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“Mr Castleton’s destruction may have been seen as unfortunate collateral damage in order to protect Horizon at all cost.”
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Sub-postmaster ‘can’t see any end to it’
Castleton bankrupted by litigation
The lawyer made his remarks based on evidence from the litigation against Alan Bates and Phase 1 of the Horizon Inquiry.
Within a year of buying the Marine Drive branch in 2003, Mr Castleton’s computer system showed a £25,000 shortfall.
He had called the Post Office’s helpline 91 times as he believed the Horizon IT system was at fault, but was taken to court by the firm in 2007.
The former sub-postmaster had to represent himself as he could not afford a lawyer, and was ordered to repay the money and pay costs of £321,000, which bankrupted him.
Image: Lee Castleton called the Post Office’s helpline 91 times after his Horizon IT system showed a shortfall of £25,000
Fujitsu ‘lacked knowledge’ of Horizon use
Meanwhile, Fujitsu alleged in their closing remarks that they were unaware of how the Post Office would use information from the Horizon systems against sub-postmasters.
In page nine of their submission, the firm said they accept “that in some cases, although Fujitsu provided no particular support to a prosecution or civil claim… it is nonetheless clear that information derived from the Horizon system was instrumental to a number of the wrongful prosecutions and civil proceedings pursued against sub-postmasters”.
They then alleged “that, once support was provided by Fujitsu to Post Office in a particular case… Fujitsu lacked control, and typically lacked knowledge, as to how that evidence would be deployed by Post Office in that case, or in any subsequent cases”.
The newest remarks are at odds with Fujitsu’s European boss Paul Patterson’s statement to the select committee in January, where he admitted staff knew of bugs, errors and defects in the Horizon IT system as far back as 1999.
A man accused of driving into crowds at Liverpool FC’s title parade faces 24 new charges.
More than 130 people, including children, were injured when Paul Doyle allegedly drove his Ford Galaxy vehicle into hordes of fans at the celebrations on 26 May.
The 53-year-old, of Croxteth, Liverpool, was originally charged with two counts of wounding with intent, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, two counts of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, and one count of dangerous driving.
Six of the new alleged offences relate to babies, including one six-month-old and one seven-month-old, proceedings at Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday.
The new indictment, which was not read out in court, now has 31 counts relating to 29 victims, aged between six months and 77 years old.
Doyle now faces 18 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, two counts of wounding with intent, one count of dangerous driving and one count of affray.
He appeared in court via video link from prison and was in tears.
Travellers are being warned about mosquito bites on holiday after a rise in chikungunya infections in people returning to the UK.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also said the first cases of the emerging oropouche virus had been recorded.
Chikungunya typically causes sudden fever and joint pain, which can be debilitating, and lasts from a few days to weeks.
The name comes from a word in a Tanzanian language meaning “that which bends up”, owing to the joint pain associated with it.
Most people recover but in some cases the symptoms can last several months or even years.
It’s spread by mosquito bites in tropical and subtropical regions, and most of the 73 cases reported in the UK so far this year were in London and linked to travel to Sri Lanka, India, and Mauritius.
Only 27 cases were reported in the same January to June period last year.
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Chikungunya can’t spread directly from person to person – so if someone becomes ill in the UK, they can’t pass the infection on, and the mosquitos responsible aren’t present here.
Dr Philip Veal, consultant in public health at the UKHSA, said it can be a “nasty disease” and the increase in cases was “worrying”.
“It is essential to take precautions against mosquito bites when travelling,” he said.
A man staying at a hotel that has been the focus of a series of protests has denied a charge of sexual assault and faces a trial next month.
Mohammed Sharwarq, a 32-year-old Syrian national, was arrested after police were called to the Bell Hotel on the Epping High Road in Essex yesterday, police said.
Sharwarq, who is alleged to have kissed a man on the neck, indicated a plea of not guilty to a charge of sexual assault at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today.
He indicated guilty pleas to six further charges concerning four complainants – with two counts of common assault and four of assault by beating.
Sharwarq is alleged to have punched a man in the face, thrown an object at a man, slapped a third man in the face and attempted to punch a fourth.
Sky News understands the alleged offences took place inside the hotel between 25 July and 12 August.