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Mr Wilson, of Redditch, Worcestershire, pleaded guilty to £27,000 of false accounting rather than risk prison and was sentenced to 300 hours’ community service, working alongside criminals cleaning a graveyard.
He had bought his local Post Office in 2002 with his wife Karen after she retired as a police officer, working from 5am to 8pm every day.
She said earlier this year: “The doctor said all of this did contribute to his early death. Julian was a well-educated, meticulous, honest and fabulous man.
“No matter who Julian spoke to at the Post Office, nobody wanted to know. We started making up shortfalls from the shop takings. But it grew to thousands. I sold every piece of jewellery we had, including my engagement ring, to make up the losses. It broke his heart.”
Subpostmaster Scott Darlington, from Alderley Edge, Cheshire, was suspended in February 2009 following alleged shortfall of approximately £44,000 in his takings and later sentenced to 3 months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and given 120 hours community service and a £410 fine.
The 56-year-old has since found it difficult to find a job as a result of the conviction.
Alan Bates, one of the lead claimants and a representative of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA), said on Wednesday: “The steering committee would like to thank Nick Read, the new chief executive of Post Office, for his leadership, engagement and determination in helping to reach a settlement of this long-running dispute.
