Prosecutor who took wrongly-convicted Scots postmaster to court based decision on Post Office report

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The prosecutor who took a wrongly-convicted Scottish postmaster to court made the decision based entirely on a report by Post Office investigators, an inquiry has heard.David Teale, who was procurator fiscal for the Western Isles at the time of tragic William’s Quarm’s case, said he was not aware of any “safeguards” to ensure the accuracy of statements made by investigators and their account was often accepted on “trust”.The public inquiry into the Horizon scandal - which saw hundreds of sub-postmasters prosecuted over cash shortfalls flagged by faulty Fujitsu software - heard the procedure was different to England and Wales, where prosecutors would view material evidence prior to making a decision.The inquiry was examining the case of dad-of-five William from North Uist - who died before seeing his 2010 embezzlement conviction overturned in court last year.Teale told the inquiry: “It has certainly got the potential for problems arising if there is a lack of candour.”Inquiry counsel Jason Beer KC later asked: “Are they (the investigator) the best person in the world to identify whether what they’re writing is inaccurate?”Teale, who served as Procurator Fiscal from 2000 to 2015, replied: “I can’t answer that, but that’s what happened.”More than 700 sub-postmasters were prosecuted, including up to 100 in Scotland, for theft and false accounting between 2000 and 2014 as a result of shortfalls flagged by Horizon.William was accused of embezzling £40,000 from Bayhead shop and Post Office in Paible in 2008.

His widow has told how he was forced to plead guilty to a lesser sum of £27,000 before trial in 2010 after being warned he was facing jail. Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news