Nick Wallis' Post Office Scandal show coming to Sussex

Nick Wallis has investigated the Post Office scandal for more than a decade, he described the ordeal many sub-postmasters went through.

The 49-year-old said the scandal, which spanned more than 20 years, left a “cloud of shame” on people who were serving their communities

There were more than 700 convictions for false accounting after faulty software made it look like sub-postmasters had been pocketing cash.

And to date, only 72 people have had their convictions quashed.

More than 700 sub-postmasters were convicted (Image: PA)

Mr Wallis told The Argus: “It’s hard to appreciate how bad a criminal conviction can be, your financial prospects are done. You can’t get a mortgage, you can’t get insurance. It’s all more expensive.

“But it’s also the mental health aspect and the shame. These are very visible people within their communities, they’re very trustworthy people. They can’t get that job without a spotless record.

“But then going from community-minded people who wanted to serve, to suddenly have this cloud of shame descend on them in their communities.

"People lost their minds, not just their financial future and the ability to have a comfortable retirement. People were locked into these incredible depressions which take an awful long time to recover.”

Nick Wallis wrote 'The Great Post Office Scandal: The fight to expose a multimillion pound IT disaster which put innocent people in jail'

Nick said that many sub-postmasters felt pressured into pleading guilty for a lesser charge.

Nick added: “Many were tricked by the threat of going to jail so pleaded guilty to false accounting. But then of course, they have this horrendous stain on their character.

“Every time they try to tell people they’re innocent they would be told ‘if you were innocent, why did you plead guilty?’

“They didn’t think about the implications going forward but it traps you in this box of shame by your own hand.

“It’s only when you find out about the bullying approach the Post Office took to steam roller people into pleading guilty that you realise what an awful bind they were in."

Sami Sabet was wrongfully convicted for false accounting

Nick is leading a series of shows across the south of England called the Post Office Scandal – the inside story.

The show will have snippets from Nick’s work, extracts from his book and talks from sub-postmasters, including Sami Sabet who spoke with The Argus about his ordeal.

Mr Sabet, a former sub-postmaster from Shoreham, was cleared of any wrongdoing last July.

Sami Sabet, left, with other sub-postmasters after getting their conviction overturned

Post Office Limited has sent many of the sub-postmasters letters of apology after their convictions were quashed.

A letter - seen by The Argus - accepted that Mr Sabet did not have a fair trial due to the Post Office’s failures in its investigation which were “so egregious as to make your prosecution an affront to the conscience of the court”.

The two dates in Sussex are at the Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham on Wednesday, June 29 and the Chequer Mead Theatre in East Grinstead on Thursday, June 30.

Tickets can be bought on each theatre's website.