Former Sub-Postmaster Robin Garbutt Seeks Fresh Appeal for Wife’s Murder Conviction

Robin Garbutt, a former sub-postmaster serving life for the 2010 murder of his wife Diana, is pursuing a fresh appeal, citing new evidence from the Post Office Inquiry. Convicted in 2011, Garbutt has consistently maintained his innocence, claiming that he and his wife were victims of an armed robbery. Prosecutors argued he faked the robbery, had been stealing from the post office, and killed Diana to conceal his financial crimes. Despite no physical evidence linking him to the murder, the prosecution used data from the controversial Horizon IT system to support the conviction.

Garbutt’s legal team has applied to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) for the case to be reconsidered by the Court of Appeal, arguing that flaws in the Horizon system undermine the evidence used against him. This comes after the Post Office Inquiry exposed issues with the reliability of Horizon, which was previously used to accuse hundreds of sub-postmasters of theft. Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake is among those backing a review, stating that Garbutt deserves a fair hearing, though he refrains from commenting on Garbutt’s guilt or innocence.

Garbutt has faced three unsuccessful attempts to secure a new appeal. However, his lawyers argue that new developments since his last bid in 2021, when the CCRC rejected his appeal, offer fresh grounds for a case review. Diana Garbutt’s family maintains belief in his guilt, but Garbutt’s supporters insist that he did not receive a fair trial and hope that the latest application will yield a breakthrough.

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