Post Office lawyer accused of telling ‘big fat lie’ to Horizon inquiry

Published

1 year ago

May 3, 2024

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A former top Post Office lawyer has been accused of telling the Horizon IT inquiry a “big fat lie” over his knowledge of a bug in the system that could have stopped wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters in their tracks.

Jarnail Singh was a senior in-house lawyer and subsequently head of criminal law at the Post Office from 2012.

The inquiry into the Horizon scandal heard he was copied into an email containing a report which identified the glitch in the accounting system but denied knowledge of it for years – despite saving the document and printing it out.

Mr Singh denied the claims by Jason Beer KC, counsel to the inquiry.

Mr Beer said the report was sent to Mr Singh just three days before sub-postmaster Seema Misra’s case began in October 2010.

Ms Misra was eight weeks pregnant when she was handed a 15-month prison sentence after being accused of stealing £74,000 from her branch in West Byfleet, Surrey.

Her conviction was later quashed by the Court of Appeal.

Mr Singh said he “wasn’t made aware” of the report, written by Fujitsu engineer Gareth Jenkins.

Explanation of bug

Mr Beer said it described a bug “that will result in a receipts payment mismatch” and offered an explanation for apparent cases of theft among sub-postmasters.

He added that a file address on the bottom of the document, which included Mr Singh’s name, showed the lawyer had both saved the report to his drive and printed it out only nine minutes later.

He said this proved Mr Singh had lied years later when he denied having advance knowledge of the issues uncovered by a 2013 report carried out by forensic accounting firm Second Sight.

Mr Singh said he also did not know how to save or print documents during his employment at the organisation and had to ask others to do it for him.

Mr Beer accused Mr Singh of telling “a big fat lie” to the inquiry and of having failed to disclose important information to the defence or court ahead of Ms Misra’s prosecution, asking: “You’d known about the bug all along hadn’t you, Mr Singh?”

The lawyer responded: “No, that’s not true.”

Admission of mistakes

He also denied any suggestion of a cover up but admitted that “mistakes were made” in the prosecution of Ms Misra.

Mr Singh said: “I’m ever so sorry Ms Misra had suffered and I am ever so embarrassed to be here, that we made those mistakes and put somebody’s liberty at stake and the loss she suffered and the damage caused which was not what this was about.”

Following her case, hundreds of people were later wrongly convicted of stealing after bugs and errors in the accounting system, operated by Fujitsu, made it appear as though money was missing at their branches.

There were more than 700 convictions in total, dating back from 1995 to 2015.

Victims not only faced prison but financial ruin. Others were ostracised by their communities, while some took their own lives.

Fresh attention was brought to the scandal after ITV broadcast the drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, prompting government action that aims to speed up the clearing of names and payments of compensation.

Business

Lola’s Cupcakes bakes £30m takeover by Finsbury Food

Published

4 hours ago

August 14, 2025

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Lola’s Cupcakes bakes £30m takeover by Finsbury Food

Lola’s Cupcakes, the bakery chain which has become a familiar presence at commuter rail stations and in major shopping centres, is in advanced talks about a sale valuing it at more than £25m.

Sky News has learnt that Finsbury Food, the speciality bakery business which was listed on the London Stock Exchange until being taken over in 2023, is within days of signing a deal to buy Lola’s.

City sources said on Thursday that Finsbury Food was expected to acquire a 70% stake in the cupcake chain, which trades from scores of outlets and vending machines.

Lola’s Cupcakes was founded in 2006 by Victoria Jossel and Romy Lewis, who opened concessions in Selfridges and Topshop as well as flagship store in London’s Mayfair.

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The brand has grown significantly in recent years, and now has a presence in rail stations such as Waterloo and Kings Cross.

The company employs more than 400 people and has a franchise operation in Japan.

Lola’s is part-owned by Sir Harry Solomon, the Premier Foods founder, and Asher Budwig, who is now the cupcake chain’s managing director.

The deal will be the most prominent acquisition made by Finsbury Food since it delisted from the London market nearly two years ago.

Finsbury is now owned by DBAY Advisors, an investment firm.

A spokesperson for Finsbury Food declined to comment.

Business

UK growth slows as economy feels effect of higher business costs

Published

16 hours ago

August 14, 2025

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UK growth slows as economy feels effect of higher business costs

UK economic growth slowed as US President Donald Trump’s tariffs hit and businesses grappled with higher costs, official figures show.

A measure of everything produced in the economy, gross domestic product (GDP), expanded just 0.3% in the three months to June, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It’s a slowdown from the first three months of the year when businesses rushed to prepare for Mr Trump’s taxes on imports, and GDP rose 0.7%.

Caution from customers and higher costs for employers led to the latest lower growth reading.

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Business

Claire’s to appoint administrators for UK and Ireland business – putting thousands of jobs at risk

Published

1 day ago

August 13, 2025

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Fashion accessories chain Claire’s is set to appoint administrators for its UK and Ireland business – putting around 2,150 jobs at risk.

The move will raise fears over the future of 306 stores, with 278 of those in the UK and 28 in Ireland.

Sky News’ City editor Mark Kleinman reported last week that the US-based Claire’s group had been struggling to find a buyer for its British high street operations.

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Prospective bidders for Claire’s British arm, including the Lakeland owner Hilco Capital, backed away from making offers in recent weeks as the scale of the chain’s challenges became clear, a senior insolvency practitioner said.

Claire’s has now filed a formal notice to administrators from advisory firm Interpath.

Administrators are set to seek a potential rescue deal for the chain, which has seen sales tumble in the face of recent weak consumer demand.

Claire’s UK branches will remain open as usual and store staff will stay in their positions once administrators are appointed, the company said.

Will Wright, UK chief executive at Interpath, said: “Claire’s has long been a popular brand across the UK, known not only for its trend-led accessories but also as the go-to destination for ear piercing.

“Over the coming weeks, we will endeavour to continue to operate all stores as a going concern for as long as we can, while we assess options for the company.

“This includes exploring the possibility of a sale which would secure a future for this well-loved brand.”

The development comes after the Claire’s group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a court in Delaware last week.

It is the second time the group has declared bankruptcy, after first filing for the process in 2018.

Chris Cramer, chief executive of Claire’s, said: “This decision, while difficult, is part of our broader effort to protect the long-term value of Claire’s across all markets.

“In the UK, taking this step will allow us to continue to trade the business while we explore the best possible path forward. We are deeply grateful to our employees, partners and our customers during this challenging period.”

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “Claire’s attraction has waned, with its high street stores failing to pull in the business they used to.

“While they may still be a beacon for younger girls, families aren’t heading out on so many shopping trips, with footfall in retail centres falling.

“The chain is now faced with stiff competition from TikTok and Insta shops, and by cheap accessories sold by fast fashion giants like Shein and Temu.”

Claire’s has been a fixture in British shopping centres and on high streets for decades, and is particularly popular among teenage shoppers.

Founded in 1961, it is reported to trade from 2,750 stores globally.

The company is owned by former creditors Elliott Management and Monarch Alternative Capital following a previous financial restructuring.