The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘Gangster’ behaviour denied
APost Office investigator has admitted it was “probably not” acceptable to offer a plea deal to a subpostmaster on condition of not blaming the Horizon system.
Stephen Bradshaw, who was the officer in the case against Katherine McQue, was shown a memo he had been copied into dictating that an indication had been given to the sub-post-mistress that a guilty plea to fraud was acceptable “so long as the defendant stipulated ... there was nothing wrong with Horizon”.
Questioning the witness on the 2011 document, counsel to the inquiry Julian Blake said: “Do you think it’s appropriate for the Post Office to say to a defendant that we might accept the second count on the indictment as long as the defendant, in their basis of plea, recognises that there’s nothing wrong with Horizon?”
Mr Bradshaw replied: “It may well be taken because of whatever was said during the interview, and I believe...”
Chairman of the inquiry Sir Wyn Williams interjected: “Just answer Mr Blake’s question.”
Mr Bradshaw responded: “I’m trying to, Mr Williams.”
The chairman continued: “But it’s a simple question, is it appropriate for someone representing the Post Office to say ‘we will accept your plea, but only if you don’t blame Horizon?”’
After a short hesitation, Mr Bradshaw said: “Probably not.”
The memo stated Ms McQue went on to plead guilty to fraud at Carlisle Crown Court in February 2011 and stated that nothing was wrong with the Horizon system. In his witness statement to the inquiry, Mr Bradshaw denied claims he and others “behaved like Mafia gangsters” who were looking to collect “bounty with the threats and lies” from subpostmasters.
The investigator, who has been employed at the Post Office since 1978, told the inquiry he was not equipped to know whether there were bugs or errors in the Horizon system.
One sub-post-mistress, Jacqueline McDonald, claimed she was “bullied” by Mr Bradshaw during an investigation into a shortfall of more than £94,000.
In her interview with Mr Bradshaw, which was read to the inquiry, Ms McDonald was accused by the investigator of telling him a “pack of lies”. Mr Blake said the witness’s words sounded “somewhat like language you might see in a 1970s television detective show”.
Mr Bradshaw said: “I refute the allegation that I am a liar. I also refute the claim that Jacqueline McDonald was bullied.”
The investigator added: “Ms Jacqueline McDonald is also incorrect in stating Post Office investigators behaved like Mafia gangsters looking to collect their bounty with the threats and lies.”
The statutory inquiry, which began in 2021 has previously looked at the human impact of the scandal, the Horizon system rollout and the operating of the system, and is now probing the action taken against subpostmasters.