- Mellor performs the previous postmaster within the new hit ITV drama
- Made plea for vicitims to ‘get the compensation and justice they deserve’
- Post Office boss Paula Vennells introduced she can be handing again her CBE
This is the touching second actor Will Mellor shares a hug with former postmaster Lee Castleton who he portrayed within the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
Mr Castleton was pursued and bankrupted by the Post Office who took him to court docket over £25,500 he did not steal, after a fault with the Horizon software program made it seem as if cash was lacking.
Mellor performs the previous postmaster within the new hit drama on the scandal which noticed More than 700 Post Office workers have been falsely prosecuted primarily based on faulty knowledge from the agency’s Horizon pc system, which was developed by Fujitsu.
The ex-Coronation Street actor made an impassionate plea on ITV News for the victims of the scandal to ‘get the compensation and justice they deserve’, after shamed former Post Office boss Paula Vennells introduced she can be handing again her CBE amidst mounting public outrage.
It follows Rishi Sunak‘s announcement that round 750 former postmasters will be capable to signal easy declarations of innocence to be exonerated en masse.
Lee Castleton (left) was pursued and bankrupted by the Post Office who took him to court docket over £25,500 he did not steal, after a fault with the Horizon software program made it seem as if cash was lacking
Will Mellor performs the previous postmaster within the new hit drama on the scandal which noticed More than 700 Post Office workers have been falsely prosecuted primarily based on faulty knowledge from the agency’s Horizon pc system, which was developed by Fujitsu
Mr Castelon needed to characterize himself within the High Court due to the scandal, earlier than being made bankrupt. He is but to obtain any compensation
The ex-Coronation Street actor made an impassionate plea for the victims of the scandal to ‘get the compensation and justice they deserve’
Mellor instructed ITV information: ‘When we have been doing the scenes, we might end filming and say “can you believe they did this to these people?” We needed to preserve reminding ourselves that this was true. That it occurred to folks.
‘We knew it will land, however it’s gone larger than we might ever think about.
‘I’m glad it has given the sub-postmasters a voice and to see it’s making a distinction.’
Mr Castelon needed to characterize himself within the High Court due to the scandal, earlier than being made bankrupt. He is but to obtain any compensation
Describing the affect, he mentioned: ‘It was the systematic crushing of households. From the 23 March 2004 my household suffered inexplicably.’
‘The Post Office knew what was going to occur to those that went towards the Horizon system and that it will trigger a lot duress and issues, however there was nothing you may do about it.
‘I used to be simply utterly unable to cease something’.
Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office prosecuted greater than 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses primarily based on incorrect data from the Horizon system.
Former postmaster Alan Bates led and gained a authorized battle after himself falling sufferer to the faults. His victory paved the best way for dozens of convictions to be overturned.
He is portrayed on display within the ITV drama by Toby Jones, while his supportive spouse Susanne Sercombe is depicted by Julie Hesmondhalgh.
The present depicts a number of different harmless former Post Office workers who have been wrongly convicted, together with Jo Hamilton (Monica Dolan) and Lee and Lisa Castleton (Will Mellor and Amy Nuttall).
Also portrayed is much-criticised former Post Office CEO Paul Vennells, who stepped down from her position in February 2019 and has confronted calls to present again her CBE.
Mellor instructed ITV information: ‘I’m glad it has given the sub-postmasters a voice and to see it’s making a distinction’
A brand new regulation to quash the convictions of round 700 Post Office scandal victims shall be launched, Rishi Sunak mentioned right this moment
Janine Powell, now 52, served 5 months in jail after she was accused of stealing the cash from her department in Tiverton, Devon
More than 700 Post Office department managers got legal convictions after defective Fujitsu accounting software program known as Horizon made it seem as if cash was lacking from their retailers
Post Office boss Paula Vennells yesterday introduced she was handing again her CBE with ‘instant impact’ after greater than 1 million folks signed a petition calling for her honour to be revoked
Legislation shall be launched inside weeks to enact the blanket overturning of convictions – which crucially clears names totally, not like a pardon.
That will unlock tons of of hundreds of thousands of kilos in ‘life-changing’ compensation, doubtlessly £600,000 every, which needs to be paid by the tip of the yr.
The extraordinary motion by the federal government – following a public outcry sparked by the heart-rending ITV drama laying out the experiences of victims – got here almost 15 years after the issues in Horizon accounting software program began being uncovered.
A former postmistress right this moment revealed how she was sacked, arrested and despatched to jail simply days after her daughter’s tenth birthday after she was wrongfully accused of stealing £75,000 from the Post Office.
Janine Powell, 52, described how the Horizon scandal, which noticed tons of of harmless folks wrongly convicted of crimes they did not commit, tore her life aside – and noticed her jailed for 5 months in 2008.
The Tiverton department supervisor instructed the BBC how she ‘missed out’ on time along with her youngsters, including: ‘You’re caught behind these 4 partitions in slightly room. You get cellphone calls to seek out out what’s taking place outdoors with the kids. I’ve missed out on doing issues with them – I can not get that again.’
The Prime Minister right this moment addressed the miscarriage of justice suffered by tons of of subpostmasters and instructed MPs that enterprise minister Kevin Hollinrake will set out ‘extra particulars to the House shortly’.
Public anger over the Horizon IT scandal noticed former Post Office boss Paula Vennells hand again her CBE yesterday and the highlight has additionally turned on IT big Fujitsu.
It was revealed right this moment that the expertise skilled who constructed the defective Horizon IT system is known to need immunity earlier than showing at a public inquiry.
Gareth Jenkins, 69, beforehand gave proof saying the Fujitsu system was ‘not corrupt’, which helped to wrongfully convict tons of of postmasters.
The Cambridge maths graduate, from Bracknell, in Berkshire, has twice beforehand been known as in to present proof to the continuing public inquiry into the Post Office scandal however on each events this has been postponed.
The Government’s newest announcement represents an enormous victory for the marketing campaign headed by former postmaster Alan Bates – who’s now being backed for an honour by Downing Street and Labour chief Keir Starmer.
Former postmasters wrongly accused of crimes they didn’t commit right this moment bravely instructed their tales for the primary time amid mounting fury over the Post Office scandal that blighted the lives of tons of of harmless folks.
Postmasters come collectively on BBC Breakfast to debate the Horizon scandal and the affect it had on them
Nine victims of the scandal revealed how their lives and livelihoods have been destroyed by the widest miscarriage of justice in British historical past
Appearing on BBC Breakfast this morning, 9 victims of the scandal revealed how their lives and livelihoods have been destroyed by the widest miscarriage of justice in British historical past.
Speaking on the BBC Breakfast right this moment, former postmaster Tom Hedges mentioned: ‘I’ve been wanting ahead to this present day.
‘I ran a Post Office at Hogsthorpe, eight miles out of Skegness. I used to be there for 16 years till I used to be dismissed in 2009 and convicted in court docket in 2010.
‘I needed to wait quite a few years till 2021 when my conviction was overturned and admittedly it wrecked my life, my household’s life and everybody I is aware of life. It was probably the most horrendous factor I’ve ever been by way of.
‘I really feel very privileged to take a seat right here this morning and deal with the nation due to the fantastic TV present that ITV have produced.
‘I do really feel that story has dragged us proper on the highest of the media agenda.’
Mohammed Russell labored for the Post Office for 27 years earlier than he was convicted of false accounting and needed to put on a tag for 3 months and had a suspended sentence for 12 months.
He mentioned: ‘I’ve carried the disgrace ever since, I refuse to hold it any longer.’
Scott Darlington, who ran Alderley Edge Post Office for 4 years earlier than he was convicted, mentioned: ‘I could not get a job for 3 and a half years after that.
‘I could not afford to pay for my daughter’s faculty uniform. I suffered terrible stigma and embarrassment and monetary misery ever since and I’m glad issues have come to a head and we’re in a position to discuss it now.’
For confidential assist name the Samaritans on 116123, go to a neighborhood department or go to www.samaritans.org