A former sub-post office operator made a heartfelt plea for the expedited compensation of those unjustly prosecuted in the Post Office IT scandal during her appearance at the Brit Awards. Jo Hamilton, who was wrongly accused of embezzling over £36,000 from the Post Office branch she managed, used the platform to advocate for the victims of the Horizon scandal.

Jo Hamilton, 66, appeared alongside actor Monica Dolan, who portrayed her in the ITV drama ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office,’ to present the Song of the Year award at the O2 Arena in London. Her emotional appeal shed light on the struggles faced by postmasters affected by the scandal and called for continued support from the public.

In 2006, Hamilton, a mother of two, pleaded guilty to false accounting to avoid a jail sentence after being wrongly accused of theft. She resorted to working multiple jobs, borrowing money, and even mortgaging her house twice to repay the alleged stolen funds. However, in 2021, her conviction was overturned when it was revealed that she had fallen victim to a flawed computer system.

The Horizon system, which supplied incorrect accounting information, led to the prosecution of over 900 post office operators. Hamilton’s plea for swift compensation resonated with Henry Staunton, a former chair of the Post Office, who has called for the institution to be handed over to post office operators. Staunton’s letter to Liam Byrne, the chair of the business and trade committee, highlighted the government’s consistent evasion of responsibility in addressing the victims’ plight.

The Brit Awards served as a platform for Jo Hamilton to amplify the voices of those affected by the Post Office Horizon scandal, drawing attention to the urgent need for compensation and support for the impacted postmasters.