Melsonby, North Yorkshire – A former postmaster, Robin Garbutt, has spent the last 12 years in prison after being convicted of killing his postmistress wife, Diane, in 2011. Garbutt claims he is innocent and blames the Horizon IT system for his wrongful conviction. He alleges that evidence collected from the faulty Horizon system was used against him in his trial.
According to court records, the jury ruled that Garbutt killed his wife out of suspicion that she was having an affair and to cover up his theft of thousands of pounds from the Post Office. However, Garbutt and his supporters argue that his conviction is another victim of the Horizon scandal, which wrongly convicted 736 postmasters and postmistresses. Campaigners and Garbutt’s brother-in-law also claim that the evidence linking Garbutt to the murder weapon and the time of Mrs. Garbutt’s death is contested.
Despite Garbutt’s attempts to appeal and force a retrial with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), his efforts have been unsuccessful. The commission concluded that the Horizon system’s figures were not essential to his conviction for murder. They also cited other issues related to scientific evidence and decided not to refer his case for an appeal.
Outside court, the victim’s mother, Agnes Gaylor, expressed her relief at the sentencing, stating that she would not let Garbutt enter her thoughts after that day. Garbutt was sentenced to life in prison and was told he would serve a minimum of 20 years by the judge.
In November 2022, the CCRC made a final decision not to refer Garbutt’s case for an appeal. The commission stated that figures from the Horizon system were not essential to his conviction for murder.
The case continues to be a topic of much debate and contention, with Garbutt maintaining his innocence despite his conviction.