‘Ended my marriage and left me suicidal’

KEITH Macaldowie’s marriage ended because of the Post Office scandal, which left him so distraught he contemplated suicide, he told the inquiry yesterday.

Mr Macaldowie, 49, had opened a shop in Greenock before adding a post office to it in 2006.

Before taking over the post office, he received one week of training, which he said felt rushed and only covered the basics of the Horizon system. He was also told by the trainer that he was ‘liable for the shortfall’ in cash should there be any problems.

Straightaway he experienced shortfalls, ranging from £1 to a couple of hundred pounds, before being audited in 2011 for a shortfall of £9,312.

This caused Mr Macaldowie, pictured, to start borrowing money from his mother-in-law to cover his shortfalls, and he extended his mortgage in the process.

In total, he estimates that he had to pay more than £15,000 just to cover his shortfalls. He was eventually suspended and resigned in 2011.

Following an investigation by the Post Office and an interview, Mr Macaldowie’s father, a forensic accountant, asked to conduct his own investigation into the accounts, which was declined. Yesterday, Mr Macaldowie said the situation caused a complete breakdown in his marriage and he had even contemplated ending his life. He added: ‘This basically brought an end to my marriage. I came close to suicide – I had a noose around my neck at one point. ‘The only thing that stops me acting out suicidal thoughts is that I don’t want to disappoint the people I have already disappointed.’