Appeal Court Delay for First Capture Case as Post Office Requests Extension
The Post Office has sought an extension to respond in the first Capture case before the Court of Appeal, moving the deadline from 5 December to 30 January. This case, referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in October, is the first Capture-based conviction to reach the Court of Appeal since the Horizon scandal came to light.
The case involves Pat Owen, a former sub-postmistress who was convicted in 1998 based on evidence from Capture software and died in 2003. Capture software was used in up to 2,500 branches in the 1990s, with hundreds of postmasters convicted between 1999 and 2015 amid the Horizon scandal. A 1998 report highlighting faults in Capture software, commissioned by Owen’s lawyers, may not have been seen by the jury.
CCRC chair Dame Vera Baird described the case as a potential touchstone for others, while the CCRC continues investigating around 30 other pre-Horizon convictions. The Post Office stated the extension was needed to thoroughly consider the CCRC’s Statement of Reasons and expressed regret for the impact on Owen’s family.
Additionally, the Capture Redress Scheme, launched this autumn, offers payments of up to £300,000, with higher sums in exceptional cases, to former postmasters who suffered losses.
