“It was hell”. The words of Sunil Patel, a former sub-postmaster, who spent 7 months in prison and paid huge amounts of damages as part of the Horizon scandal.
Only a few days ago did he receive a letter from the post office, telling him his convictions were quashed, and he would be compensated.
Finn Macdiarmid reports.
Only a few days ago did he receive a letter from the post office, telling him his convictions were quashed, and he would be compensated.
Finn Macdiarmid reports.
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00:00I had to do seven and a half month sentence and then the rest of it I was allowed out
00:07on a tag.
00:08It was still on a curfew so I couldn't, it was like between seven to seven, so I couldn't
00:14go out.
00:15But all this affected us badly, it's the stigma of being a criminal now.
00:21They'll always be saying, oh, that's the postmaster who stole the money.
00:26And what was your reaction when the letters came through and it told you that the conviction
00:31had been overturned?
00:32That was the best moment of my life.
00:35You just felt like you just won the lottery.
00:38It's like the emotions, I thought all the weight's gone off your shoulder.
00:44You said like, you could go out and face everybody and without worrying them talking behind your
00:49back.
00:50So that was one of our best moments.
00:55And the impact on your family, you said you had a six-year-old at the time.
00:58Yeah, so three daughters.
01:00The oldest was just finishing first year uni and she was going to sit back a year so she
01:06could help in the shop.
01:08My middle daughter was in her second year A-levels, so that impacted her a bit.
01:13And my youngest was just six.
01:15My mum moved down from London to take her to school and bring her home and do the things
01:22that I would have done if I was at home.
01:25Yeah, the impact was that.
01:27It was the day-to-day that was hard.