Gillian Harrison

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Gillian Harrison was one of a group of former sub-postmasters and post-mistresses who were convicted of offences including theft, false accounting, and fraud, based on information from a computer system called Horizon which suggested that money had gone missing from post-office branch accounts. The basis of each of the prosecutions in these cases was that money missing from the branch account had been a result of theft by the sub-postmaster or mistress or had been covered up by fraud or false accounting by the sub-postmaster or mistress. However, the accounts of a branch post office did not in fact reflect missing cash or stock but was a result of a bug within the Horizon system which caused errors or defects.

Mrs Harrison had pleaded guilty to false accounting over an alleged shortfall of £1,474, and had been sentenced to a 12 month rehabilitation order, to pay the money back as compensation, and to pay £320 as costs. Her conviction was quashed based on evidence indicating that the Horizon computer system was faulty, and responsible for incorrectly flagging shortfalls in accounts.

She always denied taking any money, and said that the ordeal destroyed her life.

 

 

Said the ordeal destroyed her life.

View Press (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)

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