RICHMONDSHIRE, North Yorkshire – Robin Garbutt, a post office owner convicted of murdering his wife, Diana, is seeking a fresh appeal, claiming that the discredited Horizon computer system was used to wrongfully implicate him in the killing. Diana was bludgeoned to death in their flat above the post office in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, in March 2010. Since his conviction, Garbutt has maintained his innocence, insisting that a man wearing a balaclava and holding a gun made him hand over £16,000 cash, claiming they “had” his wife, and that he found Diana dead after handing over the cash.
Unconvinced by the murder conviction, many of Garbutt’s former customers visit him in prison regularly, adamantly asserting that he is not capable of such a brutal act. However, Diana’s mother, Agnes Gaylor, believes that Garbutt is attempting to leverage the Horizon scandal for publicity and is skeptical of his chances for a successful appeal. Garbutt’s supporters argue that the evidence from the discredited Horizon computer system used to incriminate him is unreliable and may have been a contributing factor to his conviction.
During his trial, it was alleged that Garbutt concealed theft from the Post Office and killed his wife to cover it up, using evidence from the Horizon system. His conviction, in part, was based on the testimony of a Post Office investigator who used data from the Horizon system to link Garbutt to the theft and Diana’s murder. Despite the lack of DNA evidence to tie Garbutt to the murder weapon or the crime scene, he was found guilty primarily on the basis of circumstantial evidence and the Horizon data. Moreover, new records obtained post-conviction showed no irregularities in the post office’s cashflow leading up to the murder, casting doubt on the prosecution’s claims of financial strain as a motive for the murder.
Garbutt now hopes for a fresh appeal in light of the recent decision to quash all Horizon-dependent convictions due to the system’s unreliability. He argues that his case should receive a fair hearing in front of a new jury, given the questionable evidence that led to his conviction. The Department for Business and Trade, overseeing the Horizon compensation scheme, declined to comment on Garbutt’s case, signaling a potential development in his favor.
Despite the deep divide in public opinion regarding Garbutt’s guilt or innocence, his case is emblematic of the larger scandal surrounding the Horizon system and the potential ramifications for those wrongfully convicted based on its flawed data. As the fallout from the Horizon scandal unfolds, it raises significant questions about the reliability of evidence and the administration of justice in cases where technology plays a pivotal role.
In the meantime, Garbutt remains incarcerated, his supporters seeking justice and exoneration. With his hopes pinned on a fresh appeal, the outcome could potentially shed light on the broader implications of the faulty evidence that led to his conviction. As the legal battle continues, the community remains divided over the truth behind Diana Garbutt’s tragic murder, leaving lingering doubts about the fairness of the trial that found her husband guilty.