Mr Bates vs The Post Office

One of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history. Although the ITV programme doesn't mention it, one of the first post masters to be wrongfully prosecuted had for many years been running our Post Office at Stairfoot.
The case boils my p***.

 

Two Barnsley actors in the cast, but I keep expecting the forensics bloke to ask “where’s me washboard?”

 

A school friend of mine was convicted and jailed in this disgrace. Lovely lad, no-one could believe that he would do such a thing, turned out we were all right. Absolute scandal what went on.

 

I

Ditto. I remember it being regular news on local radio about the guy in Chesterfield. He was shunned in his village. No amount of recompense can cover the amount of distress caused not only to him, but his family also.


Harjinder Butoy, 46, from Chesterfield, a former subpostmaster, endured 18 months behind bars for a crime he did not commit – a victim of what has been described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in recent history.

 

There's an indepth series about this on BBC Sounds. "The great post office scandal". And the obfustication is still going on.

 

Stumbled across a podcast about it on bbc sounds couldn't believe what I was hearing it's absolutely unbelievable. If podcast are your thing well worth a listen covers it all, well up to date as this is know where finished they need proper justice.

 

Shocking story. And still no action against anyone in the Post Office!
Do watch the programme!

 

I’m not sure I could watch it, it would piss me off too much, I’m glad they’ve made this program though, it’s keeps it in the public eye

 

I listened to the radio series when it was first aired, it’s the sort of thing that makes you want to go out and kick the bin over. The really annoying part is that many of these people affected have still not been properly compensated. Some of these have passed away before seeing justice served.
Equally galling is that no one from the Post Office has been brought to book over it and in my opinion this is an issue that absolutely needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Those sub post officers need to see this as much as they need the financial compensation.
It’s simply outrageous that multiple people at the Post Office allowed this to perpetuate knowing full well that they were ruining innocent people’s life’s and that some of them were being incarcerated. It could be an election winner as far as I’m concerned

 

I believe the findings of the ongoing enquiry are to be published early in 2025 which is far too long winded for the people who suffered. No criminal prosecutions can be brought by the results of the enquiry but the CPS can start their own. Let's hope everyone gets the justice they deserve.

 

Agree that it is shocking, but a symptom of an age in which 'computer says no,' or 'yes' and cannot be contradicted. If on-line practices move companies beyond personal access and accountability, this is one of the scandals of the age and needs to be addressed in law. One of the victims taking the PO to court and getting full recompense for all they lost, not just the money, would set the legal precedence for others to follow and would make companies properly accountable under the law. Great tv and sadly necessary.

 

Agree with all those sentiments.
Scandalous, and as has been said in this thread, there are people who were responsible for this appalling state of affairs who have not been dealt with / prosecuted.
If they were they would be found guilty and they should be put behind bars.
Shocking.

 

It's not "computer saying no" that's driven this, it's Management greed based on bonus payments taking precedent over truth and morality.

 

A petition to strip the disgraceful Paula Vennells of her CBE

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/strip-paula-vennells-of-her-cbe

 

Sunak agreed for every PostMaster to be given an initial compo payment of £100k to tie them over until the 2025 investigation.

https://www.ft.com/content/aa1cedab-4767-4176-97ef-e34d8c8fd9b7

As far as I concerned, everyone of the people affected should get as much as they can out of it asap - they’ve been treated horrendously by it all - at least a few mil each, if not more. And that doesn’t go anywhere near repairing the damage to their lives - to them who are still alive sadly.

 

Non paywalled link
https://archive.ph/sADLn

https://archive.ph/2022.04.10-060856/https://www.ft.com/content/aa1cedab-4767-4176-97ef-e34d8c8fd9b7

 

Looking forward to watching this. It truly is astonishing that such a thing can be allowed to happen and in my mind, regardless of any investigation, it is clear now that 'someone' knew something wasn't right and it was covered up criminally. The idea that, all of a sudden, the new system shows hundreds of respected people were on the rob without something thinking 'hang on, this doesn't smell true', is just preposterous.

 

33 accused have since died, no doubt not helped by the stress of this, another 4 committed suicide over it. It really should be gaining more attention than it has and if those responsible are still around (not watched the programme yet) they should be doing a very long time inside, not being shuffled around other high ranking posts or drawing massive pensions.

 

A bit like the Letby baby deaths. Stats would have shown up the discrepencies within weeks, if only someone had been prepared to look and act upon the data.

 

I ran a pub in the early 90s I had to do a weekly sheet just basically money in money out type thing but every week I used to get anxious it all added up. I can't start to think how them poor postmasters felt when they pressed that button and it showed tens of thousands short fall,then when they asked for help they were told they would have to find the money from somewhere and no one else had a problem, barstewards or words to that effect springs to mind.