Former Post Office auditor Helen Rose’s 2006 witness statement about subpostmaster Lee Castleton differed in important ways from her 2004 audit record: it left out his reported efforts to raise Horizon concerns and added an allegation that he smelled of alcohol. At a 19 September 2023 inquiry hearing, Rose said she did not know why the details were omitted and could not remember why the allegation was included. The documents show a discrepancy; the hearing evidence cited here does not establish that she deliberately altered her account to destroy him.
What changed between the two accounts?
Rose audited Castleton’s Marine Drive Post Office branch in Bridlington, Yorkshire. She later provided two witness statements in the Post Office’s legal claim against him and gave oral evidence at his trial, according to Computer Weekly.
The inquiry compared Rose’s 2004 audit record with a witness statement prepared in 2006. The differences concerned both information that could support Castleton’s account of raising problems and an allegation potentially damaging to his credibility.
| Issue | 2004 audit record | 2006 witness statement |
|---|---|---|
| Castleton’s concerns | Recorded that Castleton said he had been in regular contact with Post Office staff about concerns, and believed computer errors were responsible for the problems. Computer Weekly reports that the record also said he believed none of his staff had stolen. Source: Computer Weekly | The details about his reported concerns and contacts were omitted. The inquiry transcript refers to contact with the retail line manager and Horizon helpline. Source: inquiry transcript |
| Alcohol allegation | The earlier record did not include an allegation that Castleton smelled of alcohol after lunch. Source: inquiry transcript | The later statement said he returned from lunch smelling strongly of alcohol. Source: inquiry transcript |
What did Rose say about the differences?
At the 19 September 2023 hearing of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, counsel questioned Rose about why the earlier account of Castleton’s contacts and concerns was absent from the later statement. Rose said she did not know. She suggested that the audit report may have been intended for another recipient and might already have been part of the evidence.
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Asked about the alcohol allegation, Rose said she did not know how it came about and could not remember the comment. Her answers address her recollection at the hearing; they do not, on their own, establish why the documents differed or whether any change was deliberate. The official transcript is the primary record of the questions and answers.
How did the case affect Castleton?
Castleton challenged the Post Office’s demand that he repay an unexplained branch loss. Computer Weekly reports that the court ruled against him, awarding approximately £26,000 in damages and £321,000 in costs, and that the outcome bankrupted him. These figures and the reported consequence are from Computer Weekly’s account, not a judgment independently examined here. Read the report.
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Why this evidence needs careful wording
The headline’s phrase “used to destroy subpostmaster” captures the severe consequence for Castleton, but it should not be mistaken for a proven finding about Rose’s intent. The evidence described here establishes that the 2004 and 2006 documents differed and that Rose could not explain those differences when questioned. It does not establish that she deliberately fabricated or altered evidence.
The episode sits within the wider Horizon IT Inquiry. The Department for Business and Trade describes the inquiry as examining Horizon failures associated with wrongful suspension, termination and prosecution of sub-postmasters over more than two decades. That wider remit provides context, but does not itself determine what happened in Rose’s statements. GOV.UK: Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry.
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