'I was ruined by bullying Post Office' - convicted sub-postmaster

WATCH: Former sub-postmaster Tom Hedges reveals his emotions to CGTN 

A former sub-postmaster in the UK wrongfully convicted for theft as a result of errors from faulty software has opened up to CGTN Europe on his heartache and anguish.

Between 1999 and 2015, over 900 postmasters were prosecuted and convicted. A law quashing those was recently approved by the British Parliament. 

Tom Hedges, speaking on the final day of questioning for the ex-boss of the Post Office Paula Vennells at the public inquiry into the scandal, was asked about the personal and professional impact of the conviction.

"Absolute ruination of my life," he told CGTN. "It's about 15 years ago since I was prosecuted, and I went from living a fairly comfortable, nice existence to being washed up, and, almost flushed away by a bullying post office who took me to court and prosecuted me. 

"It meant my business almost went bust, but we did manage to just save it a little bit. I came within a hair's breadth of going bankrupt and the stigma never leaves you. 

"I was 58 at the time, and trying to get another job at 58 is a hard enough job. But stick a criminal conviction on and it proved completely impossible."  

In what has been decsribed as the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice, hundreds of sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and many were financially ruined. In 2017, a group of 555 sub-postmasters won compensation after taking legal action against the Post Office. 

Only 102 convictions had been overturned by March 2024, but a new law, passed on Friday, has cleared victims' names and set them up for compensation payments.  

The Metropolitan Police is investigating the Post Office over potential fraud offences.

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Hedges added: "I'm lucky my conviction was quashed in 2021 and I'm now very pleased the other 900 join me with this new law. 

"As far as justice is concerned, it's been over three years for me and that opened the door to claim compensation. It's only this week I've been able to lodge that claim because of all the hoops the Post Office has thrown up.

"So I'm hopeful now for me personally that will be the case. However, there are 900 now in a similar situation I was in."

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