A SUBPOSTMASTER'S wrongful conviction over missing funds “massively contributed” to his early death aged 67, his widow has said.

Julian Wilson, who ran a post office in Astwood Bank, took a plea deal in 2008 after auditors found more than £27,000 missing in the branch accounts.

He was among 700 subpostmasters and subpostmistresses (SPMs) prosecuted between 2000 and 2014, based on information from the Horizon IT system, installed and maintained by Fujitsu.

In December 2019, a High Court judge ruled that Horizon contained several “bugs, errors and defects” and there was a “material risk” that shortfalls in Post Office branch accounts were caused by the system.

Mr Wilson died from cancer in 2016 – more than four years before his conviction was overturned in April 2021.

Redditch Advertiser: Karen and Julian Wilson. Picture: Hudgell Solicitors/PAKaren and Julian Wilson. Picture: Hudgell Solicitors/PA

Speaking to the inquiry into the scandal on Wednesday, February 16, his widow, Karen Wilson, 67, teared up as she described how the ordeal “massively contributed” to his early death.

Her husband, who was suspended in September 2008 when an audit found that there was more than £27,000 missing from the accounts, was charged with false accounting and theft.

Mrs Wilson described how he was left little choice but to take a plea deal to avoid prison and was sentenced to community service as well as a confiscation order for the missing money.

After the conviction, she said he was unable to find work, their assets were frozen and she ended up pawning her belongings including her engagement ring to get by.

Redditch Advertiser: Julian was one of hundreds of sub-postmasters across the UK who suffered due to the Post Office Horizon scandal. Image/ PA.Julian was one of hundreds of sub-postmasters across the UK who suffered due to the Post Office Horizon scandal. Image/ PA.

Mrs Wilson also said her husband, who previously loved to take part in music and sports events, “just hid himself for about a year”.

“He couldn’t face it,” she said, adding that he would sometimes “just fall apart and talk about suicide”.

In January 2016, Mr Wilson was diagnosed with bowel cancer and as it progressed, Mrs Wilson promised him she would fight to vindicate him.

Redditch Advertiser: Karen Wilson. Karen Wilson.

“I will carry on and that was my promise to him from a wife,” she said.

“He was only 67. I never said that this did kill him but it did massively contribute, definitely.”

The inquiry, which is expected to run for the rest of this year, is looking into whether the Post Office knew about faults in the IT system and will also ask how staff were made to take the blame.