Paula Vennells

Nov 8, 2024 | postofficescandal.uk | Nick Wallis |Paula Vennells

Sir Alex Chisholm KCB was one of the most powerful government civil servants during a crucial phase of the Post Office scandal, and to nerds like me, his evidence was always going to be of some interest. Chisholm made it quite clear (watch it here) he was crawling all over the Post Office’s disastrous defence to the Bates v Post Office group litigation, but that every duff decision was its to make alone.

Aug 11, 2024 | postofficescandal.uk | Nick Wallis |Paula Vennells

I suppose it was only a matter of time. Even so, the first Horizon IT Inquiry-themed post box topper to materialise in the UK is quite the talking point. The well-executed tableau appeared overnight last night. It immortalises a crucial week of the Inquiry in May this year, when Lead Counsel Jason Beer KC questioned former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells over three days.

Jun 7, 2024 | postofficescandal.uk | Belinda Crowe |Mark Davies |Paula Vennells

On 1 Dec 2014 I was in Cornwall, where Tim Robinson, Jane Goddard, Joe Cooper and I had been filming with former Subpostmaster Sue Knight. After 32 years service Sue had been sacked and prosecuted by the Post Office for false accounting. Although the prosecution had been dropped, Sue’s life was falling apart. She had lost her job and reputation and was in the process of losing her home. Her mental health was in tatters.

May 26, 2024 | postofficescandal.uk | Nick Wallis |Paula Vennells

In his witness statement to the public inquiry, former Post Office Director of Communications Mark Davies claimed Paula Vennells acted with “integrity and care” when dealing with the issues raised by campaigning Subpostmasters. In the same statement he states Vennells is a woman of “deep integrity” who is “guided by deeply held personal values.”On 17 Dec 2014 Vennells celebrated Davies’ professional skill and her own much-vaunted integrity and care.

Apr 25, 2024 | postofficescandal.uk | Paula Vennells

It is possible that Angela van den Bogerd and her senior colleagues (Rodric Williams, Mark Davies, Susan Crichton, Chris Aujard, Jarnail Singh, Patrick Bourke) were just not very bright. They were all aware of evidence which pointed to the exact opposite of what they were telling MPs, Subpostmasters and journalists about potential miscarriages of justice and the Horizon IT system, but they somehow didn’t join up the dots or make the connection.