Appeal Court Delays First Capture Case as Post Office Seeks Extension
The Court of Appeal has delayed the first Capture-based conviction appeal as the Post Office has requested additional time to respond, extending the deadline to 30 January. This case involves Pat Owen, a former sub-postmistress convicted in 1998 based on evidence from the Capture system, who died in 2003. Her case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in October.
Capture, used in up to 2,500 Post Office branches during the 1990s, was found to be faulty in a 1998 report and may not have been adequately considered by juries. Hundreds of sub-postmasters were convicted between 1999 and 2015 as part of the Horizon scandal. The CCRC continues to investigate around 30 other convictions from before the Horizon system.
The Post Office stated that it sought the extension to thoroughly consider and respond to the CCRC's Statement of Reasons and expressed regret for the impact on the Owen family. Additionally, the Capture Redress Scheme, launched this autumn, offers payments up to £300,000, and more in exceptional cases, to former postmasters harmed by Capture.
If Owen's case is ultimately exonerated, it could accelerate the handling of other cases and serve as a landmark for victims of the flawed Capture system.
