TEN years ago, this week, sub-postmaster Robin Garbutt was found guilty of murdering his wife Diana in the flat above Melsonby post office, in North Yorkshire, which they ran together.

Garbett was sentenced to life in prison after Diana Garbutt, 40, was killed by three heavy blows to the head with a rusty iron bar on March 23, 2010.

Robin Garbutt phoned 999 after apparently discovering her bloodied body in the living quarters above the post office.

He claimed a balaclava-clad intruder who had held him up and forced him to hand over £16,000 from the safe was responsible for her murder.

But Garbutt was convicted by a jury majority of 10 to two a year later at Teesside Crown Court and jailed for life.

The Northern Echo: Mr Garbutt still denies killing Diana, 40, whose body was found in their home above Melsonby Post Office, North Yorkshire Picture: OWEN HUMPHREYS / PAMr Garbutt still denies killing Diana, 40, whose body was found in their home above Melsonby Post Office, North Yorkshire Picture: OWEN HUMPHREYS / PA

At the time, the judge said he believed the murder was motivated by Garbutt's fear of being exposed for stealing from the Post Office.

Garbutt has always maintained his innocence, brought an appeal, and has twice placed new evidence before the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), in an effort to have his conviction recognised as a miscarriage of justice.

Last year, he made a third application for review of the charge. All the attempts have so far failed.

Meanwhile, a syndicate of cleaners and ex-cleaners mopped up more than £4m on the Lottery.

The 16 friends dusted off their glad rags to pick up their cheque in the sunkissed surroundings of Rockliffe Hall, near Darlington.

The Northern Echo: Thirteen of the group picking up their Lottery winnings Picture: PAUL KINGSTON / PAThirteen of the group picking up their Lottery winnings Picture: PAUL KINGSTON / PA

And it was an extra special day for one of the winners, Marie Kennedy, because she was also celebrating her 53rd birthday - and had only been a member of the syndicate for eight weeks.

With each member picking up £255,000, many of them were still coming to terms with their win.

Pam Clarkson took over running the all-female syndicate, who all work or used to work as cleaners at Egglescliffe School, near Stockton, in 2008.

Seven of the 16 winners were retired and the remainder of the group was undecided about what the future would bring - but no one was planning to hang up their mop straight away.

The winning ticket for the triple rollover was bought at Tesco Express, in Durham Road, Stockton, as part of the syndicate's weekly four lucky dip tickets. The winning numbers were 4, 34, 40, 41, 44 and 49.

The Northern Echo: Thirteen of the group picking up their Lottery winnings Picture: PAUL KINGSTON / PAThirteen of the group picking up their Lottery winnings Picture: PAUL KINGSTON / PA

The winners, all from the Stockton area and aged from 44 to 80, had been picking numbers since the Lottery was launched, and until their jackpot, their biggest win was little more than £70.

Thirteen of the 16 winners who picked up the cheque were: Margaret Short, Gillian Kendall, Barbara Kelly, Judith McLoughlin, Sue Walker, Maureen Meymell, Miriam Lipthorpe, Doreen Bush, Anne Richardson, Ethel Paris, Val Hutchinson, Pamela Clarkson and Marie Kennedy. The remaining three preferred to remain anonymous.

Meanwhile, a couple hoping to win a dream wedding received support from paralympic hopeful Lyndon Longhorne.

The Northern Echo: Lyndon Longhorne collects money from three-year-old Daniel Green Picture: DAVID WOODLyndon Longhorne collects money from three-year-old Daniel Green Picture: DAVID WOOD

The 15-year-old helped Trudi Ross and Kevin Blenkinsopp, from Willington, County Durham, with a supermarket bag pack to raise money for charity.

They are one of five couples hoping to raise as much money for Kids for Cash as possible, because the pair raising the most wins a wedding worth £25,000.

Lyndon, from Crook, had both his legs, one hand and the fingertips of his other hand amputated after contracting meningitis when he was a baby.

The fundraising campaign, run by TFM radio, was held at Sainsbury's, in Durham.