Sub-postmaster's life 'torn apart' when she was jailed in Post Office scandal
A sub-postmaster has described how her life was torn apart when she was jailed in the Post Office scandal after being falsely accused of stealing £74,000.
Janine Powell was working at the branch in Tiverton in Devon when the Horizon system was brought in. She said her and her three children's lives fell apart when she later lost her job and was subsequently arrested, charged and sent to jail in 2008. The mum of three was sentenced to 18 months in prison after refusing to plead guilty to a crime she did not commit.
Janine, 52, said: "It should never have happened and it is so sad that all these people including myself have gone through it - but to know I'm not alone is a relief. The series and the testimonies coming out has made others aware of the situation, and brought it to light that this is really the truth about what has happened. I hope it makes it clear to people what we have been through, and hopefully it will help others to come forward and get what they need."
Janine says the success of the new ITV drama, which has come out 16 years after her initial arrest, has helped explain what her family has been through. She said it was an "extremely accurate representation" and her life events were paralleled with the character Jo Hamilton's, played by Monica Dolan.
Janine said: "What was shown on that drama series is exactly how it was for me - Jo was exactly the same. I was told if I pleaded guilty I would get a lesser sentence. They try and encourage you to do it - and I just said that's fine, but I'm not guilty." Janine added that she feels proud to have kept faith in herself - despite losing faith in the very systems which were supposed to protect her and hundreds of others.
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Janine with her three children (Janine Powell / SWNS)Janine has given evidence to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, which has been gathering information about the scale of events. Her criminal conviction was retracted in 2022 but she hopes to share her story to inspire others affected by the scandal to step forward and share their testimonies.
In 2005, Janine went into Cowleymoor Post Office branch in Tiverton, where she worked as a counter clerk and was promoted to sub-postmaster within a few weeks. She said she "enjoyed" the job and had "great rapport" with a lot of the customers. But she began to feel as though she was doing something wrong, and the Horizon system was not balancing and she was provided with no support.
Janine said: "You didn't have any help, I was just thrown in from the beginning with no proper training. I thought it was something I was missing - you're just sat there thinking the money is there somewhere but you didn't know where. I would spend six to seven hours going over and over it but it was different every time - the system just didn't make sense.''
Janine with her three children (Janine Powell / SWNS)Janine recalls the harrowing memory when she was called downstairs in 2007 asking to return her keys - because she was suspended and under investigation. She said: "I had three kids - one young girl and two teenagers - I was just completely numb. You just tend to hide away and you don't know what people are saying. It was so isolating. I'm quite a shy person anyway I wanted to burrow my head in the sand and think it’ll go away - but it didn't."
Janine had to complete five months in prison, was put on an electronic tag for three months and then still had to go on probation. After her release Janine tried to rebuild her life but with immense difficulty. She was reunited with her children but admitted trying to find a job was difficult - she was forced had to give up on her dream of being a midwife and foster parent due to her criminal record, and also lost a job as a receptionist when they discovered her criminal conviction.
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