Post office owner calls for bail reform after suffering terrifying raid at knife-point

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A post office boss twice subjected to horrifying raids by a prolific armed robber has called for reforms to protect others from suffering similar ordeals.

Michael Ahearne, 33, held staff and customers at Draycott in the Clay Post Office at knife-point when he targeted the store in June.

He was on bail for three other armed robberies - including one at the same post office 15 months earlier - when he committed the offence.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has written to owners Sarah and Nigel Powlson to apologise for failing to appeal against the court's decision not to remand the Burton thug in custody.

Uttoxeter and Burton MP Andrew Griffiths said he was pleased lessons had been learned.

Now Mr Powlson has called for guidelines on granting bail to be given "serious re-evaluation".

He said: "We agree with Andrew and we're pleased the CPS has learned lessons from the process.

"From the CPS’ point of view, they've clearly looked at it on our behalf and we hope they take action going forward to make sure they don’t make the same mistake again.

"But if the magistrates were applying guidelines when they allowed Ahearne to have bail, then the guidelines are wrong.

"Although we appreciate what the CPS has done, magistrates still let him out on bail.

"We don’t think anyone with a history of armed robbery who has been charged with armed robbery should be let out on bail – it’s as simple as that.

"It wasn’t just one offence – it was a series of offences we’re talking about, so if they’re the guidelines, they need some serious re-evaluation.

"It’s the process that we feel let down by and the CPS is part of that process.

"They had the option to push for Ahearne to be remanded in custody and they didn't. They’ve accepted that was a mistake.

"But, before it got to that stage, magistrates and judges kept granting him bail and that is just wrong.

"These people should not be assumed innocent just because they feel like pleading 'not guilty'."

When Blakeholme Court resident Ahearne appeared in court in May, charged with robbing Overseal Post Office armed with a machete, he was granted bail.

According to the CPS' letter to the Powlsons, the charging lawyer's guidance was for the prosecutor not to appeal against that decision.

In response to a letter from Mr Griffiths, CPS director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders wrote: "There are lessons to learn from what happened in this.

"We should have made better decisions in respect of whether an appeal against bail was appropriate both at the time of charge and at the first magistrates' court hearing. I am very sorry that this did not happen.

"I would like to apologise to your constituents for the upset and distress they had to endure. I hope they will be reassured from the conversations which have taken place that the CPS has taken this matter very seriously."