Former Norfolk Post Office worker cleared of fraud at Court of Appeal
Richard Hawkes was wrongly convicted as part of the Post Office 'Horizon' scandal
A former Post Office worker from Norwich, who was convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal, has been cleared by the Court of Appeal.
Judges were also told that Richard Hawkes, 75, pleaded guilty to five counts of false accounting in June 2005.
The former subpostmaster of the Tacolneston sub post office in Norwich was sentenced to 120 hours community service over a shortfall of around £11,000, which he had repaid.
It has since emerged the shortfall was caused by faults in the Post Office's own Horizon computer system.
Following a landmark High Court case against the Post Office, dozens of ex-workers have seen their convictions overturned since last April as they were based on evidence from the flawed system, first introduced in 2000.
Mr Hawkes' case was one of five heard at the Court of Appeal on Monday.
Barrister Simon Baker QC said in written submissions that the reliability of the Horizon system was "essential to the prosecution and conviction" in each of the cases.
At a hearing on Monday afternoon, Lord Justice Holroyde, sitting with Mr Justice Picken and Mrs Justice Farbey, formally overturned the convictions.
Solicitor Neil Hudgell, who has represented many of the cleared subpostmasters, said Monday's rulings stressed the need for speedy compensation.
He said: "Three of our clients today are now in their seventies and have lived with these convictions against their name for well over a decade, some close to 20 years.
"They deserve to be fully compensated as quickly as possible and should not be forced to wait a day longer than necessary."
A Post Office spokesperson said: "Post Office is sincerely sorry for the failures of the past and we are taking determined action to right the wrongs suffered by those affected.
"Our priority is to ensure that there is meaningful compensation for victims and that such events can never happen again."