Former Anglesey subpostmasters has name cleared following Horizon scandal conviction

Victor Ingham from Anglesy is one of two former subpostmasters to have had their convictions quashed by appeal judges.

Three judges ruled that the convictions of Mr Ingham, 79, and Sheila Coultas, 59, were unsafe at a Court of Appeal hearing in London.

Mr Ingham worked at a post office in Cemaes Bay, Anglesey, while Ms Coultas had worked at a post office in Stamford, Lincolnshire.

They were the latest in a series of former subpostmasters to have their names cleared by appeal judges in the wake of the Horizon scandal.

Two years ago, 39 former subpostmasters, who had been convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting offences, had their names cleared at a Court of Appeal hearing.

A total of 700 post office workers were accused of fraud or theft and wrongfully prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 due to issues with the Horizon accounting software, which the Post Office had installed in its branches, and was incorrectly recording cash shortfalls.

Mr Ingham had appealed after admitting theft and false accounting at a hearing in Caernarfon Crown Court in 2005, and being given a 15-month prison sentence.

Ms Coultas had appealed after admitting false accounting during a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court in 2008, and being given a conditional discharge.

Barrister Kate O’Raghallaigh had mounted appeals on behalf of Ms Coultas and Mr Ingham.

Lord Justice Holroyde said appeal judges had concluded that both convictions were unsafe despite the guilty pleas.

Ms Coultas was at the hearing and said afterwards that she did not wish to comment.

Mr Ingham was not at the hearing.