Police identify seven suspects in Post Office Horizon scandal inquiry
Police investigating the Post Office Horizon scandal have identified seven suspects, and more than 45 'people of interest'.
Commander Stephen Clayman said police are 'making some real progress' but warned it would take time as they widen the investigation from people 'involved in the immediate decision-making'.
Criminal trials stemming from the scandal might not get underway until 2028, he said.
The investigation, known as Operation Olympos, is focusing on potential crimes of perjury and perverting the court of justice, linked to the wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters and the wider presentation of the Horizon IT system.
More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts.
Police have described the investigation as 'unprecedented in scope and size, with potentially more than 3,000 victims. The inquiry has gathered more than 1.5 million documents to be reviewed, and several forces across the UK are involved.
No decision will be made over potential criminal charges until the public inquiry into the scandal has published its final report and investigators have 'thoroughly reviewed' its contents.
Former sub-postmaster Tim Brentnall told the BBC that victims were 'desperate to see some kind of accountability', but backed the need for police to 'do it properly'.
In March 2024, the government passed historic legislation to clear wrongfully convicted individuals.
According to the latest official figures, just over £1bn has been paid out in compensation to more than 7,300 claimants up to 2 June.
Hundreds of sub-postmasters are still awaiting compensation despite the previous government saying that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts.
The scandal is one of the most widespread miscarriages of justice in British legal history.
A Post Office spokesperson said: 'Post Office has co-operated fully and openly with the Metropolitan Police since early 2020 to provide whatever information it needs for its investigations.'
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
We saw bodies as smirking ‘Terminator' gunman who slaughtered 5 prowled our quiet street… the bloodbath still haunts us
WITH neat, well-tended gardens and neighbours chatting over their picket fences, Biddick Drive feels like a haven of peace in the heart of a bustling city. Yet a terrible shadow has been cast over this seemingly idyllic cul-de-sac - and locals are still struggling to shake off the memories of August 12, 2021, when blood ran in the streets, leaving five dead. 16 16 It was on that hot, humid evening in Plymouth four years ago that deranged gunman Jake Davison emerged from his 51-year-old mother's terraced house, having shot and killed her. Thick-set, his body pumped up through steroid abuse and hours in the gym, he then strolled downhill, spraying locals with rounds from a Weatherby pump-action shotgun as he went. Eye-witnesses told how the Ted Bundy-obsessed gunman - who had branded himself "Terminator" before the rampage - was apparently enjoying himself as he shot neighbours Michelle Parker and her son Ben Parsonage, injuring both. Ben recalled: "He had a smirk on his face, like he didn't care what he was doing." By the time Davison's murderous 19-minute rampage came to an end, five people lay dead or dying on the streets of Plymouth's Keyham district. It was one of the worst mass shootings in British criminal history. Unsurprisingly, those living on the road are still haunted by that tragic day. As one resident told The Sun: "When you're out of the house now, you take notice of who's around. The memories fade – they don't leave." In addition to his mum Maxine, victims included three-year-old Sophie Martyn, nicknamed 'Daddy's Princess', her father Lee, 43, shot three times, Stephen Washington, 59, a carer for his disabled wife who was walking his husky dog through nearby parkland, and artist Kate Shepherd, 66, blasted outside a hair salon. 16 Finally, confronted by unarmed PC Zach Printer, who bravely ran to within 20 metres of the killer shouting for him to stop, 22-year-old Davison turned the gun on himself. Within days, reports emerged of his troubled state of mind. One former teacher told of Davison's unhealthy love of guns. Another had concerns about his anger management. CCTV appears to show Jake Davison during Plymouth shooting spree His desperate mother, with whom he had a violent and volatile relationship, told relatives of his obsessive use of energy drinks and muscle-boosting supplements while his absent father said he "was in his own world", largely devoid of emotion. Later, an inquest jury would hear how staff at Plymouth's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service noted that Davison, diagnosed as autistic 10 years earlier, enjoyed violent computer games and used "sexual talk which was quite extreme". Aged 13, his ambition was to be a sniper. Police enquiries showed that, as an adult, he became immersed in the shocking world of incels – a violent online sub-culture dominated by men unable to find love. 16 16 16 But apprentice crane driver Davison's mental health background was only one factor in his victims' fate. In concluding that all five were unlawfully killed, an inquest jury pointed to a "catastrophic failure" by Devon and Cornwall Police. Officers granted him a firearms licence in 2018 in the full knowledge that he had assaulted teachers and a fellow student. And although in September 2020 he launched a "ferocious, intense and unprovoked attack" on a teenage boy and 15-year-old girl, he was placed on a "deferred change programme" called Pathfinder instead of facing a court. Davison 'viewed women with contempt' and sympathised with incel culture An inquest heard how Davison spent a lot of time reading and writing about 'incel' culture. The term refers to "involuntary celibates" with the movement labelled a "hate" group as many followers believe they are owed sex by women. Incels believe they have no possibility of finding a partner to get love, validation or acceptance from. In turn, this makes some incels want to strike out at the world because they have been rejected by girls, while others blame attractive men for their perceived problems. The self-confessed black sheep of the family also described himself as "The Terminator" in a slew of "deeply disturbing" posts. He shared posts referring to 'violence, misogynistic views, viewing women with contempt' and "sympathy with incel culture", the inquest was told. He also looked up Ted Bundy and incel serial killers, watched videos on firearms and how to reload them and posted a one minute clip from an online game called KillZone. Jurors heard Davison branded mum Maxine a "dirty insufferable, a vile creature" who was difficult to live with. His firearms licence was seized only in December 2020 after another Pathfinder member tipped off police that it remained valid. Yet it was returned seven months later after an officer decided Davison was "low risk" and his decision – which should have been signed off by a senior colleague – went unchallenged. Today, many Keyham residents cannot understand how laws supposed to protect them from gun crime proved so hopelessly ineffective. On Royal Navy Avenue – the route Davison took as he headed towards his final victim – resident Victoria White, 51, told us: "You think about those who died and their families and wonder how this could ever have happened. "I'd known [victim] Lee for years. I worked with him when I was 16 at a local Toshiba dealer. 16 "My neighbour and I saw someone lying on the ground just up the road. We thought they were unconscious because of drug use. But they had been shot there in broad daylight. "What happened was dreadful. It's always there with you. "When you're out of the house now, you take notice of who's around. "The memories fade – they don't leave. I never used to worry about locking my door…but I do now." Another neighbour, who asked to be named only as Paul, agreed. "I suffer from PTSD," he said. "I don't think what happened should ever be forgotten and I understand why people still have questions. "But it affected me very badly and I can't talk about it." Devon and Cornwall Police has since made major changes to its firearms licensing unit - more than doubling staffing levels to 99 by 2023, improving training procedures and appointing four senior managers instead of one to assess high-risk decisions. On Biddick Drive itself, there is an understandable reluctance among neighbours to talk about the shootings. The feeling was summed up by 85-year-old Arthur Beacham, out walking his springer spaniel Barney. 16 "It's something that wants forgetting," he said. "What happened was awful, but it's gone, it's over, and we can't bring anyone back. The man was off his head. How do you deal with people like that? "Any one of us could have been a victim. I was out with my dog that evening and my usual walk would have taken me into his path. "For some reason, I decided we'd go to St Levan's Park instead." A few streets away, Manos, a gardener, said social media had made the aftermath of the tragedy worse for some residents. What happened was awful but it's gone, it's over and we can't bring anyone back. The man was off his head. How do you deal with people like that? Arthur Beacham He said: "Years ago, if a violent crime happened in your neighbourhood, you would chat it through with your family and friends and process it gradually in your own time. "Social media changed all that. Now photos flash up as 'memories' whether you want them to or not. And even if those photos aren't directly of the scene of the crime, they can still upset you by reminding you where you were and what you were doing at the time. "They come up on some thread and people share them, and suddenly everyone is weighing in." 'Moving on' But he added that Keyham remained a place people wanted to live. "My customers love it here," he said. "I don't hear anyone saying they want to leave." Latest figures from the estate agents' website Rightmove bear that out. Average sold prices reached a peak of £167,315 in 2022 and since then have risen by a further 9% to stand at £182,817. One young mother told how she'd moved into Biddick Drive – which comprises mostly rental properties – even though some friends couldn't understand why. "I wasn't here when it all happened. I've just taken the road as I found it," she said. "The truth is, it's a lovely community. It's quiet, people talk to each other, it feels safe for kids. "As far as I'm concerned, there's no stigma. Why wouldn't you want to live here?" It's the kind of spirit that has also been embraced by local businesses. At Henderson Local Convenience Store, yards from where Davison killed himself, the owner said her family had been welcomed and supported by locals. "This place lay mostly empty after what he did," she said. "It was briefly a café, then a shop but maybe because everyone remembered what happened, these businesses quickly closed. "We came in from outside. I had to ask a customer why a candle and bouquet of flowers had been left here. That was how I discovered what had happened. "Now we have many customers and they appreciate that we're trying to give them a good service. "Keyham is a good place to live. This is a strong community and it is moving on." 16
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Horrendous moment 'deplorable' electric unicycle rider leaves girl, two, with fractured skull after being caught on CCTV weaving in and out of pedestrians
This is the shocking moment a careless electric unicycle rider left a two-year-old girl with a fractured skull and a serious brain injury after colliding with her on Felixstowe Promenade in Suffolk. CCTV footage shows Andrew Wickenden, 50, from Ipswich, riding on a single-wheeled electric scooter on Sunday, November 3, as he weaves in and out of pedestrians. The video then shows him zooming down the promenade as he nears a group of people walking in the opposite direction as him. The clip cuts out momentarily, which was when he collided with the toddler. The video then shows the vehicle strewn across the floor, while a man is seen confronting Mr Wickenden. The two-year-old is shown being held in her mother's arms. She sustained a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain and had to be rushed to hospital by ambulance. The man was given a suspended sentence and a driving ban after pleading guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving at Ipswich Magistrates' Court on Friday. But in a statement, the defendant said he was travelling at a speed 'less than cyclists' and close to a wall to 'minimise potential contact with others'. 'I am devastated and I've had sleepless nights' Mr Wickenden added in his statement. The court heard how Mr Wickenden had been riding a Bedgoden unicycle, which can only be used on private land. The victim's mother told the court that the incident left her daughter 'covered in her own sick' and 'head to toe in bruises and scrapes.' 'Seeing my daughter in a situation that I couldn't prevent was heartbreaking. Hearing the diagnosis of a fractured skull and brain bleed and knowing there was absolutely nothing I could do to repair', she added. The court heard the toddler recovered from her injuries, but her mother, who has not been named to protect the young girl's identity, told the court of the anxiety and distress she was left with after the incident. 'I couldn't sleep without her being close to me, I endured nightmares.' 'As a parent the last thing you ever want is to hear your child is in pain and suffering, especially from something so careless and preventable'. 'The emotional distress we have gone through as a family in such a small amount of time is awful. A feeling me, and my children, will never forget.' The court also heard that the child recovered from her injuries, but there were concerns about her long-term development. 'She is currently still undergoing a range of tests such as eye and hearing tests to ensure nothing has been damaged. The daily worry of what could happen as she grows is frightening, the unknown of how much this has truly affected her', her mother told the court. Mr Wickenden will spend 14 weeks behind bars and was also disqualified from driving for 18 months. He was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work. Acting Inspector Matt Dale, the senior investigating officer for the incident, said in a statement: 'This was an unusual incident where a child had suffered serious injuries as a result of a lack of due care from the defendant, riding a vehicle that is not legal on our roads or public spaces. 'This matter was easily preventable and could have had resulted in a fatal outcome. This should be a lesson to any person who possesses an e-scooter, electric unicycle or similar vehicle to ensure they know the law in relation to their use and to ride them legally in suitable private spaces with due care.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Oldham FINALLY break silence on their yob striker who knocked woman out with a chair in shocking Ibiza poolside brawl
Oldham Athletic have said they will undertake a 'thorough investigation' after yob striker Kian Harratt was filmed hurling a plastic chair that hit a middle-aged woman in the face in a shocking Ibiza poolside brawl. Harratt, 23, accused the woman of going down 'easily' as she tried to break up a scrap between his friends and another group of British holidaymakers but admitted he felt 'terrible' and 'very apologetic' after 'accidentally hitting' her. The woman collapses to the ground holding her face after being hit while the other group fall into the pool and topless Harratt, exclusively identified by MailOnline, retreats out of shot. The forward, who scored the winning goal at Wembley to secure Oldham's place in League 2 just three weeks ago, has since claimed the fracas was started by a '6'6 bully built like a brick' who punched his friend. He also shared a video on TikTok which appeared to show his friend being punched in the face. Harratt admitted he was 'very apologetic and 'felt terrible' after hitting the woman with the chair but said he would have felt 'even worse' if he allowed his mate to 'get badly beaten up while he's trying to enjoy his holiday'. Oldham Athletic striker Kian Harratt (black shorts, circled) appears to throw a chair at a woman in a video recently shared to social media 🪑😳 — The92Bible (@The92Bible) June 25, 2025 Oldham, who he only signed for in March, have now revealed that a 'thorough investigation' will be carried out. A club spokesperson told the BBC it 'strongly condemns violence of any kind'. 'Until the outcome of that investigation there will be no further comment,' they added. Oldham's comments come after a bizarre statement from the hotel where the fight took place. Vibra Hotels, which runs the Marco Polo Hotel in San Antonio, peculiarly claimed that 'no chairs were thrown at guests', while admitting it was a 'shame' its staff had to deal with the fight A spokesperson told the Oldham Times: 'The fight in the pool lasted less than three minutes since our corporate security at the hotel acted immediately.' Despite video footage of the chair being hurled, they added: 'No chairs were thrown at any guests; the lady got in the middle, it seems that with the intention to stop the fight. 'The lady was asked by our security members if she wanted to report to the police and file a complaint, but she said she was okay and she did not want to, that she just slipped and she was fine, and she thanked our security members. 'It took less than three minutes for the incident to end since our security acted quickly, and as soon as they acted, the fighters left the pool area. @ Just for the people who have seen the video circling the internet off me throwing a chair 'FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON' 👍🏻 here's the fella who started it all and let me just say he was the worst man you could ever come across and a bully! He was 6,6 and built like a brick! Anyways he was swimming over to young couples while there at chilling and trying to make the lad feel uncomfortable flirting with there girls and all sorts off daft stuff like that! And one off my mates who is only 18 by the way jumped in the pool and started splashing him having a laugh like you do on holiday then it's stopped! After that my mate got out off the pool and the big fella shouted over to him wtf are you looking at so obviously my mates said to him I'm looking at you the fella as then flipped and started walking to my mate and the woman who gets his with the chair is in this video here trying to stop him my pal then goes dancing over to him not expecting the man to punch him…but anyways he hit my pal in the face and dropped him and then proceeded to kick him in the face while he was down👌🏻 the video cut off tho after that obviously like any normal mates would do we've backed him up I tried staying out the way as I don't want the trouble a chair then got lobbed towards me so I picked the chair up and threw it back and it accidentally hit the woman who as you can see went down abit easy but besides that I was very apologetic and I felt terrible, but I'd have felt even worse if we left my mate to get badly beaten up while he's trying to enjoy his holiday I hope this video opens peoples eyes I had to post it cause I've had nothing but abuse all morning and I'm sure this will clear it or so it should 👍🏻 #fyp ♬ original sound - 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗧𝘃 - 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗧𝘃 Footage initially emerged of the quarrel over the weekend without Harratt being identified 'It really is a shame for us and for our teams to have to deal with this kind of issue, especially when people are supposed to come on holiday to enjoy and have fun, and not to act in other ways.' Meanwhile, on Thursday, Harrat released his own statement after mounting pressure. Harrat claimed his group had merely been involved in the brawl after responding to a 'big bully'. But that man Brandon Watkins, 31, hit back at Harratt's claim that he started it, saying: 'I'm 6ft 4 for a start and I'm not a bully.' Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Brandon insisted the player 'provoked' his friends and their whole group were 'looking for a fight' when they arrived at the Marco Polo Hotel in San Antonio on Saturday afternoon. He said: 'The fight happened on day five of our holiday. We'd been around that pool every day and getting on with everybody and making friends with people. 'These guys turned up and started throwing balls about. 'Several people were saying they're going to be trouble even before it kicked off. 'At one point one of his mates got in the pool next to me and just started aggressively splashing me. One of them said what are you looking at? 'They were just being a nightmare. One lad was winding us up. Kian was sat right next to him and if anything Kian was provoking him. 'Next thing I knew Kian picked up a chair and threw it. 'I got the impression he was intoxicated, they were sat near the bar before and if they were sober they wouldn't have acted like that. 'After the brawl happened people were buying us drinks and congratulating us, that's how bad this group were. 'It's just outrageous for a footballer to behave like he did.' The viral video shows Brandon's group clashing with Harratt's friends before the unnamed woman tried to intervene and was hit by a chair. Several men including Brandon fell into the pool and another chair was thrown at them before hotel security rushed in to intervene. Brandon - who was on holiday with four school friends - stayed with the injured woman and her friends after Harratt's group were kicked out of the hotel and later helped her back to her room because she had broken her toe in the fall. Brandon's version is also backed up by a close friend of the woman who was hit by the chair. The friend - who was sunbathing by the pool when the brawl kicked off - said: 'It was carnage, I've never seen anything like it in my life. My friend was injured. They were all just shouting and swearing at each other. 'She's an absolute angel and such a good person which is why she got involved - she saw people were arguing and she just went over to stop it. 'But when she did Kian spoke to her like she was a piece of s*** and Brandon stepped in out of respect and said don't speak to a woman like that. Brandon threw the first punch then all Kian's friends got involved.' Following the scrap, Harratt said he felt 'terrible' but that the woman went down 'easily'. The friend added: 'That's no apology, he has no remorse whatsoever. Him and his mates were kicked out of the hotel without apologising, he's only sorry because he has been identified. 'My friend is really embarrassed by the whole thing, it was a horrible experience made worse as people who have seen the video have been trolling her online. 'He's a professional footballer, a lot of kids look up to him and it's not a good reflection on his club.' The striker scored the winning goal as Oldham won the National League play-off final on June 1 Harratt, who has also played for Huddersfield Town and Fleetwood Town, alleged that tension had risen after his eighteen-year-old friend splashed Watkins, who he claimed had made people at the pool feel uncomfortable. The brawl comes just three weeks after Harratt fired Oldham to Wembley glory, scoring the winning goal in extra-time of their 3-2 victory over Southend United to earn a League 2 spot next season. After the video was shared online on Sunday it was reposted by the footballer who also shared various snaps of himself on holiday on the Spanish island. On Thursday, posting on TikTok, Harratt wrote: 'Just for the people who have seen the video circling the internet of me throwing a chair 'FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON' 'Here's the fella who started it all and let me just say he was the worst man you could ever come across and a bully! 'He was 6,6 and built like a brick! Anyway he was swimming over to young couples while they're all chilling and trying to make the lad feel uncomfortable flirting with there girls and all sorts of daft stuff like that! 'And one of my mates who is only 18 by the way jumped in the pool and started splashing him having a laugh like you do on holiday then it's stopped! 'After that my mate got out off the pool and the big fella shouted over to him wtf are you looking at so obviously my mates said to him I'm looking at you the fella has then flipped and started walking to my mate and the woman who gets hit with the chair is in this video here trying to stop him my pal then goes dancing over to him not expecting the man to punch him. 'But anyways he hit my pal in the face and dropped him. He has previously been banned from football for betting on games and fined for poaching 'The video cut off though after that obviously like any normal mates would do we've backed him up I tried staying out the way as I don't want the trouble a chair then got lobbed towards me so I picked the chair up and threw it back and it accidentally hit the woman who as you can see went down a bit easy but besides that I was very apologetic and I felt terrible. 'But I'd have felt even worse if we left my mate to get badly beaten up while he's trying to enjoy his holiday I hope this video opens peoples eyes I had to post it cause I've had nothing but abuse all morning and I'm sure this will clear it or so it should.' It's not Harratt's first brush with controversy. Last year while on loan at Fleetwood from Huddersfield he was fined £1,000 by police after he was caught poaching in North Yorkshire. Police were called just before midnight on February 6 to investigate a vehicle being driven suspiciously around Whashton, near Richmond. A short while later Harratt, from Pontefract, and Daniel Luke Dimmock, 34, from Castleford were found carrying large black lamps, and with lurcher-type dogs on slip leads, police said. The men were searched, and their lamps and vehicle seized. Whistleblowers, brought to you by the Mail and Wickes TradePro, is football's most original new podcast, lifting the lid on the parts of the game no one else talks about Podcast All episodes Play on Apple Spotify They were found guilty of entering land as a trespasser at night with poaching equipment at Harrogate Magistrates Court on December 19 and fined £1,153 each, and ordered to pay hundreds of pounds more in costs and surcharges, according to police. He was also convicted of poaching at a farm in East Yorkshire in 2022 and fined £830, plus £233 costs. Also, Harratt was banned from football for four months in the 2023-24 season while at Huddersfield after placing 484 bets on matches over a three-year period. That came with a £3,200 fine and 36 of the bets were on Huddersfield games - though he insisted he was not in the matchday squad for any of them.
