Murder at the Post Office: Sky’s Explosive True Crime Series Questions a British Conviction

Was justice served — or was the truth buried by faulty technology?

Murder at the Post Office is a gripping new three-part Sky Original true crime documentary arriving on December 29, and it reopens one of the most troubling and controversial murder convictions in recent British history.

At the center of the series is a question that refuses to go away: Was Robin Garbutt wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife, Diana Garbutt?

What Is Murder at the Post Office About?

In 2010, the quiet Yorkshire village of Melsonby was rocked when postmistress Diana Garbutt was found murdered inside the post office she ran with her husband, Robin Garbutt.

Robin claimed Diana was killed by a violent intruder during a robbery.

Police investigations, however, soon turned their focus on him.

Prosecutors argued:

• £16,000 was missing from the post office safe

• The marriage was under financial and personal strain

• Diana confronted Robin over the missing money

Despite no physical evidence directly linking him to the crime, Robin Garbutt was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to life in prison.

He has always maintained his innocence.

Why This Case Is Being Re-Examined Now

What makes this documentary especially urgent is its connection to the Post Office Horizon scandal — one of the largest miscarriages of justice in British legal history.

The prosecution relied in part on evidence generated by the Horizon computer system, a technology once presented as flawless.

That system is now known to be deeply flawed.

Hundreds of postmasters were wrongly accused, prosecuted, and imprisoned due to software glitches falsely showing financial shortfalls. Many convictions have since been overturned, and a public inquiry is still ongoing.

Robin Garbutt’s legal team now argues:

The missing money used as a motive in his trial may never have existed at all.

A Documentary That Refuses Easy Answers

Directed by Louise Malkinson, Murder at the Post Office takes a forensic, careful approach rather than pushing a single narrative.

The series:

• Re-examines trial evidence and police assumptions

• Features voices who believe Robin was wrongfully convicted

• Includes those who still suspect his guilt

• Contextualizes the case within the wider Horizon scandal

Rather than telling viewers what to think, the documentary asks them to confront uncomfortable uncertainty.

A Sensitive Approach to a Real Tragedy

Produced by the award-winning team at Lightbox, the series never forgets that this story begins with the violent death of Diana Garbutt.

According to Lightbox Creative Director Suzanne Lavery, the aim was not to sensationalize but to ask whether justice truly prevailed — especially when technology now discredited played a role in the conviction.

That balance is what separates this series from routine true crime.

Why Murder at the Post Office Matters

This isn’t just a murder documentary.

It’s about:

• The fallibility of technology in the justice system

• How assumptions can replace evidence

• The long-term consequences of institutional failure

• Whether past convictions should be revisited in light of new truths

The series lands at a moment when public trust in legal systems — especially those intertwined with flawed technology — is under intense scrutiny.

Where and When to Watch

• Release Date: December 29

• Available On:

  • Sky Documentaries

  • NOW

All three episodes will be available to stream, making it ideal for viewers who want to follow the case in full.

The Central Question That Lingers

After fourteen years, multiple failed appeals, and a technology scandal that changed British legal history, one question remains unresolved:

Is Robin Garbutt a murderer — or a victim of one of the greatest miscarriages of justice the UK has ever seen?

Murder at the Post Office doesn’t promise closure.

What it offers instead is something rarer — clarity about doubt.

Final Thoughts

This is not easy viewing.

It’s careful, disturbing, and emotionally heavy — but also essential.

By revisiting a conviction shaped by now-discredited technology, Murder at the Post Office forces viewers to consider how many other truths may still be buried behind trusted systems that were never properly questioned.

For true crime fans, legal-justice watchers, and anyone following the Horizon scandal, this is one of the most important documentaries of the year.