User:Mewhen123/Lee Castleton
Lee Castleton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Castleton in 2024 | |
| Occupation(s) | Former Subpostmaster, Electrician |
| Known for | British Post Office Scandal |
| Spouse | Lisa Castleton |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | https://x.com/CastletonLee |
Lee Castleton (born 1968 or 1969) is an English former subpostmaster who was one of many prosecuted by the post office in the Post Office Scandal. He has since become an avid campaigner for other victims of the post office.[1]
Biography
[edit]Castleton bought the post office, and the apartment above, in Bridlington, Yorkshire in 2003,[2] at that time he was 35.[3] He had previously served in the RAF and worked briefly in the City of London as a stockbroker.[4] By the following March, Castleton's shortfalls, triggered by the faulty IT system, had hit over £25,000.[2] Castleton refused to pay back the money, and was eventually taken to the High Court by the Post Office with no legal representation.[2] Castleton lost this case and was pursued for legal costs of £321,000.[2] He was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2007.[5]
Castleton was one of seven subpostmasters to be included in the Computer Weekly investigation in 2009,[6] which broke the story to the public.[7] Following declaring bankruptcy, he worked as an electrician on power stations.[8]
He was also one of the 555 subpostmaster involved in the Bates & Others v Post Office Ltd court cast alongside Sir Alan Bates and Jo Hamilton.[4]
Castleton's case was, either intentionally or unintentionally, used as an example of what trying to defy the Post Office could cause to an individual.[9] This interpretation of his treatment has been confirmed in following legal proceedings,[10] with former CEO Paula Vennells saying his treatment was "unforgivable".[11]
Castleton story was featured in the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which dramatized the scandal up until the conclusion of the Bates & Others v Post Office Ltd court case in 2019.[12] He was played by Will Mellor, who he has since become friends with.[13]: 2:59
He is featured in the BBC documentary, Surviving the Post Office, (hosted by Mellor) which shows the lives of the subpostmasters or their children, after their convictions.[14] In this program, it was said that he was currently working night shifts as an electrician in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.[13]: 5:00 [15]
References
[edit]- ^ Mistry, Pritti (22 July 2024). "'Post Office victims are still having to fight' - Lee Castleton". BBC News. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d Simpson, Emma (20 September 2023). "Bankrupted Post Office Horizon victim demands answers after 17 years". BBC News. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ Rucker, Steve (8 January 2024). "Post Office victims: 'Why must we wait 15 years to have convictions overturned?'". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ a b Wallis, Nick (5 March 2023). "Post Office v Castleton – a second category Abuse of Process?". Post Office Scandal. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ Hockaday, James (8 April 2024). "Post Office scandal victim confronts minister over legal fees". Yahoo News. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ Thomson, Rebecca (11 May 2009). "Bankruptcy, prosecution and disrupted livelihoods - Postmasters tell their story | Computer Weekly". ComputerWeekly.com. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "Credit where due". 1 June 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "Post Office Trial". 28 October 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ Warmington, Ronald J; Henderson, Ian R (25 March 2020). "Written evidence submitted by Second Sight Support Services Ltd (POH0005)". Parliament.
- ^ Sweney, Mark (21 September 2023). "Post Office knew legal case was likely to bankrupt Horizon IT victim, lawyer says". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ Payne, Josh (24 May 2024). "Paula Vennells admits treatment of bankrupted subpostmaster 'unforgivable'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ Hibbs, James (3 January 2024). "Mr Bates vs The Post Office ending explained: How does the court case end?". Radio Times. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ a b Surviving the Post Office (Television production). 22 July 2024 – via BBC IPlayer.
- ^ Wallis, Nick (22 July 2024). "A Trip down Misery Lane: Surviving the Post Office on BBC1". Post Office Scandal. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ Pritchard, Jonathan (22 July 2024). "The Post Office Scandal: Will Mellor speaks to Yorkshire subpostmaster about impact of Horizon scandal on new podcast". yorkshirepost. Retrieved 24 July 2024.