BBC’s Nicky Campbell wipes away tears as Post Office victim, 77, reveals heartbreaking tale of being jailed in scandal
BBC Radio host Nicky Campbell had to wipe away tears during a heartbreaking call live on air with a Post Office scandal victim.
The BBC 5 Live host was taking calls with other postmasters who had been prosecuted by the Post Office when Karen Jolliffe called through with her experience.
Rishi Sunak today called the scandal “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history” as he revealed hundreds of victims would be cleared after a 20-year battle over the incorrect convictions.
The heartbreaking stories of postmasters affected by the scandal have shocked the nation – with some jailed or taking their own lives after being falsely accused.
It came as Rishi Sunak called the scandal “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history”.
Jolliffe, 77, told Campbell and the other listening postmasters that she spent three months in prison after receiving a year-long sentence.
The former postmistress, who lives near Farnborough, had run her Post Office for 20 years when the Horizon IT system was first installed in 2000.
But as the system indicated a loss, she tried to conceal it rather than confront the Post Office.
She said watching Mr Bates vs the Post Office was “dreadful… I just didn’t want to go back there”.
Campbell removed his glasses and wiped away tears as she spoke about what she had experienced.
“All you postmasters were wonderful… if it wasn’t for you people like me couldn’t be saying that right now.
“You’re very brave and I wish I’d been braver.”
Jolliffe said the ordeal she faced had a devastating impact on her family, saying: “My grandson was eight. He was bullied at school.”
Former subpostmaster Alan Bates, played by Toby Jones in Mr Bates vs the Post Office, is credited with bringing victims together to fight for retribution.
Bates and his wife lost £65,000 they had invested in their business but took the Post Office to the High Court in 2019, resulting in a £58million compensation payout.
Jolliffe said she had no idea what the cause of the accounting error in her store was and it led to her pleading guilty in a Magistrates Court.
“I hid it and moved money around from the shop to the Post Office for about 18 months, two years. I knew I was going to be audited and when they came out I just confessed.
“I felt so stupid when I looked at Mr Bates and how he’d worked it out. Why didn’t I? I’m not a stupid person really.”
The Prime Minister today laid out plans in Parliament that will see the convictions overturned.
Victims will simply be asked to sign a statement pledging their innocence to be eligible for fast-tracked compensation.
Ministers drew up the plans amid huge public pressure after the hit ITV drama gripped the nation.
Just 93 out of more than 700 Post Office convictions have so far been overturned.