Ex-Post Office CEO cries during grilling at Horizon scandal inquiry

On the final day of Paula Vennells' evidence to the Post Office Inquiry, representatives for victims of the Horizon Scandal cornered the former CEO over her knowledge and involvement in the cover-up.
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[@thehomelessproject3784]

She's not sorry it happened. She's sorry she got caught its that simple

[@andydudley1775]

every one knows this

[@thehomelessproject3784]

@andydudley1775 good they should

[@michaldimitrov3233]

She's like Theresa May. "I love the country" ... starts crying. What about the ordinary people in the country who are struggling to feed their kids, or get a hospital appointment while you and your chums are getting rich? (cries some more for herself)

[@zzhughesd]

Yup. Hateful. Take her to the stocks.

[@Totalinternalreflection]

Things are rarely that simple, though she's definitely at fault here.

[@hg82met]

She's crying for herself, not for the victims. For years, she enjoyed all the money, the titles and the prestige that came with her job with not a single thought to the victims. Duplicitous charlatan.

[@exiledscouser919]

Praise the Lord! And pass the Kleenex

[@stephenholmes1036]

​@leeviper1584COE backed by Justin Welby

[@HaggardPillockHD]

​​@leeviper1584 laundering her conscience

[@michaelmcginley7930]

Correct

[@michaelmcginley7930]

If non of them go to jail the british public should ignore complying with the law

[@mickkingston1450]

That woman needs to go to jail for what she has done..

[@annesteele9764]

Absolutely. A spell in prison would give her time to recollect all she can’t remember.

[@shannybeautifulchannel2410]

Wat she did

[@joycevento4026]

It was a nefarious scheme

[@shannybeautifulchannel2410]

@@joycevento4026 wdym

[@shannybeautifulchannel2410]

@@joycevento4026 nefarious mean

[@neil5877]

A typical narcissist she still believes she did nothing wrong.

[@pauldunlop1660]

Yes and the establishment attracts them like flies round a cow pat.

[@aries6776]

She knows she has fucked up, she is just refusing to take accountability. It was them... She was happy enough to take the bonuses though.

[@stephenholmes1036]

Well said

[@stephenbland7461]

Yep, reminds me of a certain Tony Blair and his fictional WMD’s

[@leroysimon5692]

👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾

[@anthonyduncalf6190]

More than 900 convictions and she's talking like 1 or 2 slipped through the net.

[@audreymcgready4329]

And she called it letting them down. Rather than destroying their lives and causing deaths. She tried to minimise their suffering. The women is despicable. She also wanted to dig up dirt on the man who walked in front of the bus by suggesting he had mental health issues. Rather than the issue he had with the PO. She also made sure she personally dealt with the PO guy who was also a Magistrate. She needs jailed for a very long time and should lose everything as they poor innocent people did. I was so angry watching all her evidence.

[@BlackStump172]

@@audreymcgready4329She is very good with the word salads .

[@dorothychuang7872]

She is a big time Liar by doing everything possible to carry out her mission - expansion of 30,000 Post Offices. How was she allowed to do so without any supervision needed and get away with it since the time the first report of the problem with the Horizon system? For 25 years, she destroyed the lives of subpostmasters’ and their families. How can any human being live with that kind of selfishness and greed? 🙄🙄🙄🙄

[@highmyope-ps2by]

Her lackey called the convictions "lifestyle problems".

[@robdee9341]

That's Humbug you preach compassion but you don't practice it....

[@MarkInOxford]

for “I loved the post office” read “I loved the money the post office used to pay me”.

[@dorothychuang7872]

Plus the BONUS!

[@wotanmjolnir326]

"I loved the Post Office. Hated the Postmasters, though"

[@susankeating8678]

Which in 2018 was £718,300 which equates to £59,858 per month. That is absolutely obscene. My cat could’ve done a better job than she did. And for less pay.

[@neilblackburn6869]

We PAID her

[@audreymcgready4329]

I watched and heard the whole thing. She is a liar and she knew what she was doing. She was up to her neck in it. She needs to be going to prison for a very long time. People have died too. She cared about no one but herself and keeping the PO out of the news. She tried to blame them. She even tried to say the man that walked in front of the bus had probably previously maybe have mental health issues. She looked to blame him too. Despicable nasty women tried to hide behind the church too.

[@harpothehealer]

Well said

[@lmg7503]

Agree

[@marksip01234]

And then had the gall to stand up each Sunday and preach to others. WTF

[@mrmyorky5634]

She's worse than 'Despicable and Nasty' The word 'Evil' barely covers her behaviour..

[@ItsOnlyRyan]

This lawyer is amazing how he cleverly and tactically exposes their lies… he’s a brilliant lawyer and I love how he leads them in to traps and it’s good watching these criminals squirm and trying to lie their way out of it, and not answering questions properly, coincidentally forgetting and unable to recall key details… I like how he then calls them out and makes them look like the lying bullies they are… people lost their lives and took their lives because they couldn’t live with the shame being branded a criminal, people got convicted and lost their freedom, jobs, their family names humiliated… while these narcissistic gangsters in higher management were profiting and trying to protect the PO name… I hope these criminals get jailed for very long sentences for the harm they have done.

[@audreymcgready4329]

She didn't let them down. She destroyed their lives. How dare she belittle what she did. to all those people. I detest this women and i don't even know her. But this is unforgivable. Utter tripe out of her. Blah blah blah. In tears because she thought she had gotten away with it all. And she is now sitting there.

[@thehomelessproject3784]

💯 she's destroyed countless lives and families... she's despicable

[@julierogers1155]

Well stated. I thought the same thing about how Vennells MINIMIZES what was done by Post Office to the Sub-postmasters ... and the real-life repercussions for all the Subs.

[@mygreatbigfoot1679]

It’s easy to draw in the moustache and dye her hair black.

[@Babblebabble87]

In some cases, she literally destroyed lives, the suicides.

[@thehomelessproject3784]

@Babblebabble87 exactly if it was possible I'd hold her accountable for them to.. I mean the money is one thing but innocent people who felt they no other choice but to end their life... that's disgusting

[@fashric10]

Despicable woman who will probably be allowed to keep all her money and walk away with a slap on the wrist, leaving a trail of destroyed lives in her wake. She should be getting at least 10 years for what she's done.

[@aries6776]

People have died because of what she did. She deserves life in prison.

[@danielelsey225]

She is part of the establishment and will not be punished to any great extent 😢

[@partariothe5th]

1 month for each wrongful conviction plus 20 years for each death.

[@mrmyorky5634]

@@partariothe5th To be served consecutively.

[@christianalexander3989]

Nah give her 50years, she's got blood on her hands, people literally commited suicide because of her. Nothing but a power-hungry narcissist. Now that she's been caught & highlighted for what seems so many years it's been swept under the carpet for I hope she gets what she deserves.

[@melissabloom536]

Vile and shameless. She should be in prison.

[@Stevejoe121]

What a horrible, evil woman. She has to be imprisoned for a long time. 🙏🏻

[@iainmacantailleir352]

She tries to portray herself as an innocent, wide-eyed incompetent little waif. She didn't become CEO of the Post Office by being all that. She is an insincere, malicious, vindictive, over-entitled monster.

[@michaelmcginley7930]

No chance

[@infrasleep]

Private Eye exposed the Horizon scandal over a decade ago-it WAS known about, but even if you accept Vennells lie that "She knew nothing about it" surely that BEGS the question "Then what on earth was the point of you as CEO at all if you're clueless about what goes on in the company you're hugely renumerated to be in control of?" Proof that most companies-particularly public/ex public owned ones, don't need these stuffed shirts at all.

[@mostlyindica]

She's had a year to practice for this. Coached like all the other POL witnesses.

[@andydudley1775]

a decade ten years to perfect it .

[@31Blaize]

By political associates, no less. Telling that she uses "I've been very clear..."

[@t.d.186]

Don't uderestimate how HARD it is for her to cry on command. Took her a very long time to find a tear.

[@dorothychuang7872]

Well prepared, coached and rehearsed.

[@SteveBernard42]

She should be jailed, made to return all her bonuses and banned from holding a directorship as a minimum. How she imagines her tacky performance will somehow exonerate her only goes to demonstrate her narcissistic personality.

[@AEKarys]

'Mrs Vennells, you preach compassion but you don't practice it'. BRILLIANT!!! (Edited due to typo)

[@stewartlancaster6155]

Practice

[@skylerdean2398]

Okay 👌 spelling nazi

[@AEKarys]

@@stewartlancaster6155 Thanks for the heads up!

[@martinhawes5647]

I’m not sure what you wrote originally. But just to note: practice = noun practise = verb You should write “You don’t practise it” The c vs s spelling is a common noun/verb distinction. some advice, to advise a licence, to license If you ever forget, just think of how advice/advise are spelled, because the pronunciations are different.

[@ericsonofjohn9384]

If you wrote “practise” the first time, you were correct

[@jackbrown8052]

Paula Vennells will not go to prison. Fujitsu is still earning billions of dollars a year from the UK government. Where is the justice for the citizens who went to prison?

[@shirleywarner2794]

Fujitsu are as guilty as she is.

[@jackbrown8052]

@@shirleywarner2794 True. Since it was their system that was defective and they couldn't fix it or detect the flaws why hasn't the UK government cut ties with them?

[@geoffsmith5563]

The Greedy Snivelling Corrupt British Government Haven't cut ties with Them for The Simple Reason MONEY To Meny back Handers Exchanging Hands.

[@flucazade]

realistically she should have said "my only motivation was for myself and my bank account" she is a vulgar person and I really hope charges are brought to all who oversaw this despicable failure.

[@andydudley1775]

the vicar of marmon.

[@simonparker8207]

YEAH YEAH YEAH, and then she dried her eyes and went home to her lovely house.

[@philippacasey4480]

She such liar she should be prosecuted!!!

[@nigel4776]

The great british tradition of protecting the wealthy and powerful. Have an enquiry, get them to say "sorry!" and then allow them to retire and enjoy their millions. This country is still stuck in a medieval attitude towards class.

[@mrmyorky5634]

Don't forget that in addition to saying sorry, it's also obligatory for her to say that 'Lessons have been learned' so that we will all feel better.

[@geoffsmith5563]

Yes The Worn out words These Scumbag use When They get Caught -: GRAVE ERROR OF JUDGMENT, IVE DONE NO WRONG DOING, I APOLOGISE UNRESERVEDLY, Sick of These BASTARDS.

[@michaelmcginley7930]

Correct nigel.

[@mikesanders8621]

It's not just Britain. The world is classist

[@boywonder6659]

The buck stops with her. 6 years minimum.

[@jackieporter5323]

I think it will be viewed ( wrongly) as corporate responsibility,

[@richardinglis9805]

I am sorry I don't agree with you because she should be sent to prison for the rest of her lieing life she is a lier and a total barstards jail this scumbag.

[@DW-dd4iw]

There's no accountability these days. Reward for failure. There's still a good chance she'll just walk away from this disaster.

[@kathchandler4919]

Crocodile tears, only sorry for herself & her absolute humiliation, she deserves to be charged, taken to court & suffer the consequences!

[@WerdnaLiten]

Too many like her in business, and they always get away with it. The people who actually do the work get shat on.....

[@BlackStump172]

No different to as it was in the 1800s and earlier .

[@astroidroach1873]

White collar crime she’ll get a fine that’s it. And then go back to her good life 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@christinejames5631]

You are spot on, it's a horrible world today Everyone for themselves, the ones at the bottom actually do the work those at the top do very very little yet get massive pay. Why oh why does this keep happening

[@georgegalyer8224]

Lock up her and anyone else involved. She knew exactly what she doing and what was going on. Offering bonuses to her underhanded henchman for every conviction they got! What makes it even worse if that's actually possible? She was once an Anglican priest ffs! Just sums up the churches caring nature in one fell swoop as well? She was in charge and top jobs with the top money carry consequences. Remove the £3 million bonus She received and put that straight in the compensation pot. Pregnant post master imprisoned. Eviction. Bankruptcy. Prison Sentences. INNOCENT people taking their own life's over it. This whole thing is truly disgusting beyond belief and heads must roll!!

[@savagedriver1967]

She loved the Post Office, but couldn't give a shit about the people who worked for it, and was happy to see 10s or 100s sent to prison. What a hypocrite!!

[@mrlawilliamsukwarmachine4904]

Have you ever heard her quite a bible verse? She’s the first Christian I’ve ever seen that doesn’t speak with the authority of the Lord.

[@superablemind-s.a.m6937]

She should give back the money she has been paid ..

[@EduardShac]

Not only, but a sentence for sure too. And give back not only what she's earned but also all family assets in the UK and abroad.

[@julierogers1155]

That is ONE of the possibilities that have been discussed. Vennells having to repay the 4 MILLION PLUS in BONUSES she received from Post Office Ltd.

[@Roy-gi5ul]

She CAN'T give back the lives of those poor individuals who felt pressured to take their own lives!

[@superablemind-s.a.m6937]

@@Roy-gi5ul No she can't... In trying to save her own position she has thrown many many innocent people under the bus and caused them excruciating stress and harm. She should go to prison. This is a crime.

[@harrycday6528]

I hope that all these Post Office officials involved will face legal charges after this fiasco.😡

[@troysnuffles]

And Fujitsu!

[@TL-ph5wg]

I wouldn't hold my breath. These people will walk out, and everything will be forgotten. That's British justice for you.

[@mrmyorky5634]

Including Ed Davey, the Liberal Party Leader who was the minister for Post Offices at the time.

[@audreymcgready4329]

You worked hard to charge all those people with theft.

[@rossi6113]

She didn't "let anyone down" at all - she deliberately and maliciously sat and watched innocent people go to prison in order to save her own worthless skin. She MUST be prosecuted for her heinous crimes. Evil woman.

[@patinho5589]

On the contrary., I think she should be loved and that no one is pure evil or beyond redemption. Most behaviours occur from pain and fear. Including your behaviour of throwing stones at her. It’s ok friend, you’re still lovable too.

[@romanpolanski4928]

Redemption only follows justice. She MUST be prosecuted for her crimes.

[@adriennestjohn4383]

​@@patinho5589Patty don't share your opinion!

[@johnmurray1451]

@@patinho5589 what a moronic statement to make, she IS evil

[@julierogers1155]

@@patinho5589 So what is your connection to the VILE Vennells? "She should still be loved"?! Paula Vennells HAS BLOOD ON HER HANDS. "Corporate manslaughter". I see you, "@patinho5589".

[@michaeldynesdynesis3534]

Jo Hamilton is one the heroes throughout this whole inquiry. She has not been allowed to ask her own questions, but her presence and looking at the witnesses has spoken a million words

[@MRJERRYCURTIN]

Good for Joe big respect

[@SteveGreenhalgh]

100%

[@shirleywarner2794]

No doubt her questions and those of others have been brought up by their KCs.

[@michaeldynesdynesis3534]

@@shirleywarner2794 I'm sure of it Shirley. I've watched it all.

[@Theresa-wp6kv]

The horizon system still has faults.

[@troysnuffles]

Fujitsu needs to be held accountable too.

[@davelordy]

We'll need to build a couple of new prisons.

[@jakewynn]

@@troysnuffles no i disagree. It was down to the post office to test it and ask them to fix any problems. They just didn't listen to the post masters. Fujitsu are unable to test it with real world data, once the product is passed over they can only act upon feedback returned to them.

[@ragnorthormass7535]

​@jakewynn What a load of codswallop. They Fudgeitsu were accessing LIVE system (the real world 🌎) and amending the transactions and financial figures... trying to fix they're known bugs. Resulting in people not being able to balance they're books and being told they had to make up the shortfall..... of thousands. And when this became too much to handle. People lost everything. Fujitsu should bear the cost of this NOT THE TAXPAYER. FACTS!!!!

[@jakewynn]

@@ragnorthormass7535 ok thats true to some degree. I still blame both sides personally, post office refused to listen to the postmasters who knew it was buggy from day one. Also it was mentioned that they could have remote access and changes were only made when agreed upon by several people, which didn't always happen. Did they try to cover things up, yes. Did they then go and prosecute people, no.

[@roviannematovu3756]

How was she ordained as a Priest!?! What a horrible careerist woman. She has 4 people who actually took own lives on her conscience & ruined other peoples' reputation.

[@kentaylor2416]

Churches are full of predators

[@ProffAndy]

Don't be fooled into thinking that all religious folk are nice people. In fact it's wise to be extra cautious when dealing with sky daddy worshippers

[@colinlewis4671]

She really does not care about those people. Like Tony Blair, thousands of deaths on his conscience, but he no doubt sleeps soundly at night with his smug grin. These types of people truly do not care about others .

[@sandy120]

*Looks at catholic church* Yeah no, no priests have ever been less than morally upstanding, not a clue how someone once in a religious institution ended up ruining the lives of innocent people surely nothing like this has ever happened in the history of christianity...

[@mrmyorky5634]

@@ProffAndy Brilliant, loved the 'Sky daddy worshipers' bit. 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@darrylsugg7230]

You can tell the sort of person she is by the delay in her replies, giving no answer in her 'answers'. The exact reason she got the job in the first place.

[@Brian-om2hh]

The old "If I cry enough, they'll go easy on me" routine......sprinkled (as usual) with the obligatory "I don't recall" or two...... "I loved the Post Office" (especially the salary and benefits as the CEO ) I wonder what odds Ladbrokes would offer on there being a straight and honest answer to *any* question asked? Who would *ever* have thought a TV drama would have this much clout?

[@shirleywarner2794]

I watched the drama in New Zealand 🇳🇿 having worked for the Post Office (my first employment after finishing education) this made my blood boil. Vennells and Fujitsu are both equally guilty. She says information wasn't given to her - why not? So many questions and not all answered because quite conveniently, she cannot recall. A very selective memory she has.

[@nammo9460]

Over 900 of her employees were prosecuted for serious offences, and she didn't PERSONALLY look into it? What total dereliction of duty!

[@woodenseagull1899]

Yes, the clue in all of this is the extraordinary number of post masters prosecuted within this cohort intake. She was just not up to the job......!

[@worker-wf2em]

@woodenseagull1899 I’d say criminally negligent at her job

[@JeanRinger]

I shirked as hard as I could

[@Booboonancy]

@@woodenseagull1899 She was more than just incompetent, she didn’t care. Many of us have been in work situations where we felt unprepared for something. The big big difference is when you 1) recognize that you are in over your head and 2) you get the proper assistance to help you see it through.

[@henriettaatkin1968]

Strictly speaking, they weren't employees but contractors, what we would call 1099 in the US. What colors her attitude, I believe, is that SPMs have always been considered underlings, not really "gentlemen," and she was too busy catering to the upper crust, i.e. the Tory government. Seeing the SPMs as human beings with equal rights to her was not uppermost in her mind, and that is what led to her downfall and the downfall of the Post Office.

[@ChrisOld-of1hd]

She should be in jail as we would

[@maggi0310]

Do not pass 'go ' do not collect your 3mill bonus

[@John-ou4rm]

Absolutely unfit for the position. If she was so soft and weak then why didn't she sympathise with those the Post Office destroyed. Looks like sociopathic behaviour. Whoa me!!!

[@nikwalker7495]

Ambitious, ruthless and careless seems apt. She was not curious how the Horizon system worked and seemingly not that bothered if it did not...what was important to her was fluttering eyelids at tory politicians and ignoring sub postmasters because they were inconvenient to her narrative. The sort of cockroach that pops up in almost every major management board where personal well being was far more respected then doing a good and competent job and where integrity and reliability were secondary even tertiary to personal growth. After she scuttled out of the PO when it became obvious it was a scandalous enterprise only magically reappearing in the cabinet office the same month she left the PO. A truly repugnant individual that thought she had found a home in the church and a church that reluctantly kicked her to the curb when it was revealed just what a failure and obnoxious individual she actually was, she was even more corrupt then they were.. It is true that many of the cretins she surrounded herself with at the PO were far worse human beings...it was a disaster in the making...and the SPM's paid the ultimate price...unfortunately that is something she will probably never have to do, cockroaches survive nuclear fallout you see, she has that DNA.

[@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559]

She's arrogant and highly ambitious. She should never have been given the job.

[@DeShark88]

*Woe (I think that's the word you were after anyway)

[@John-ou4rm]

@@DeShark88🏅 You're right...

[@John-ou4rm]

@@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559 These people will throw you under a bus to further their personal objectives. Levels of sociopathy rise to near 25% in management from an article I read years ago. They plead for forgiveness because they have been caught not because they care.

[@MartySulls]

At 10:12 her mask slips. Only for a split second.... Her initial reaction is of disdain that someone is calling her out. Then she remembers she needs to come across as humble and contrite.

[@brettpritchard265]

Well spotted. An interesting little moment actually there, lots of micro expressions in a split second.

[@iainmacantailleir352]

I noticed that on the TV coverage. He face said, "How dare you interrupt me, you pleb."

[@mra3149]

Does anyone know what they said as it's not very clear on background audio?

[@iainmacantailleir352]

@mra3149 Not sure, but Rev Vennells was bleating on, saying "I loved the post office. I think the audience member said "So did I". That's when Rev Vennells turned to snarl before remembering that she was acting out the sad innocent role.

[@user-cq9zl9sf2t]

People are in prison for hurty words and cheeky stickers. This clown stood by watching other postmasters comit suicide at the fear of prison and being branded as a theif. Knowing all along it was a fujtsu software error. Prison is the only fitting punishment and loosing that big pension as well

[@mikeyoung7660]

Well said mate

[@mattpreece6106]

Stop saying she cried. She didnt. No tears. FAKE CRYING!!

[@HENJAM48]

We take what we can get. Cos she won't see the inside of a jail...

[@myriaddsystems]

Crocodile tears aren't they

[@astroidroach1873]

Dry cry 😂🤣😭

[@rosalindgall275]

And only for herself...not for the victims.

[@leeyoung9469]

The tears are for herself not for regret at the harm she allowed to happen on her watch.

[@mcgoverg1]

Agreed, self pity cos she has been found out

[@moonman62]

She cried but not for all those convicted but for herself.

[@archiebald4717]

The Archbishop of Canterbury wanted to appoint this woman to be Bishop of London. What does that say about his judgement?

[@tracywood9301]

Cut From the same cloth obviously

[@JSB2500]

That he's good at choosing people who are good at hiding evil secrets.

[@henriettaatkin1968]

She does a nearly perfect job of being the perfect, well spoken British upper class lady (though not quite). I can see a lot of people buying into her. A people-pleaser and evader of confrontation -- most people like that are liked by others because they don't rock the boat.

[@ShiftyGeeza]

This was of course a few years ago but I remember going to our local post office one day only to find that it had been raided by the police and closed down with the post master and his wife being taken away by the police. They'd been there for at least 20 years in the same shop living in a small flat above it. Even though I could hardly believe it, at the end of the day I didn't know them well if enough to know if they were capable of scamming the post office or not. It's been closed ever since and I never saw them again.

[@Awakenotwoke-lf3ej]

Horrible vile greedy thing it is...

[@fundidoarrojo269]

The genocidal kettle came to talk about the pot here.

[@richardhands904]

​@@fundidoarrojo269only genocidal people is hamas (voted in government)

[@aj5424]

And ot wears a dog collar, like an unholy minion of the Anti-Christ.

[@rupertwilmot4792]

Israhel?

[@johnledington6242]

Tears of the crocodile variety

[@bikingbirder2010]

Prison!

[@TheBurdenOfHope]

Such a pathetic person. Elevated to a level of management they should never have been awarded. I support IT systems that manage the housing stock of a local authority. It manages tenancies and rents as well as repairs, temporary accommodation and so much more. If we get a sniff of an issue with a single customers records or data in our system or whole subsets of our system we are on it like a rash. Our software supplier hates us because we have our own knowledge sets and methods of fixing IT Defects or issues such that we can hold them to account for resolving them and in a timely manner. This is mismanagement plain and simple and incompetence of the highest order. This person doesn’t have a heart. They had no drive or determination to fix these IT issues that have ruined countless lives.

[@mhoppy6639]

Good post. I was in a parallel position to folks like you in housing management (I looked after some services for vulnerable people) and it was the same. Our software supplier _constantly_ blamed others or us for their own failings and luckily my colleagues knew their tenants, suppliers and electricians etc intimately so they could never wriggle out of stuff. IT people often try and blind you with techno babble. If you’re on top of your role it doesn’t work. She clearly wansnt or didn’t care. I suspect the latter

[@TheBurdenOfHope]

@@mhoppy6639 thank you for your reply. You’re spot on. Regardless of the category of issue if people aren’t willing to do the checks and balances needed to do right by our customers then it’s dereliction of duty.

[@jeff__w]

Your comment is splendid-I don’t think I’ve read one as good anywhere-and very much needed because it really highlights just how and to what degree those running the Post Office were willfully and woefully incompetent. I would just say that, rather than having no drive or determination to fix the IT issues, these Post Office officials were guided by incentives, e.g., to preserve their own positions and the “reputation” of the organization, among others, that ran counter to the interests of the subpostmasters and that of the public. It was _at best_ reckless disregard. Their sheer lack of integrity and human decency makes them nothing short of moral monsters, in my view.

[@TheBurdenOfHope]

@@jeff__w thanks Jeff. I think your reply is spot on regarding self preservation. Which makes it even worse doesn’t it!

[@jeff__w]

@@TheBurdenOfHope My pleasure! It does-which is partly why I mentioned it. ☺️

[@formicapple2]

How about all the Managers responsible having to donate a percentage of their wealth to the victims? Pie in the sky, I know. She could not care less, truth be known.

[@LlewStDavid]

All the senior people responsible for this should all serve the combined total of sentences served by those now exonerated.

[@thehomelessproject3784]

​@@LlewStDavid and pay damages out of their wages to the victims

[@Ftanftangfnarrr]

What does it say about the Church of England that she was thought suitable for Bishop for London?

[@renacleerican7824]

Everything.

[@orac1waterskiing]

Lets translate her comments, ' I was motivated by ambition and greed,' then the tears, ' People dont understand that top public schools cost an sbsolute fortune, Luke and Edward both deserve the best!'

[@muirislandjim453]

"I Loved the post office" lol yeah i bet she did, flying all over the world earning millions of pounds in wages

[@kentaylor2416]

"earning"

[@dortchem]

Anything less than jail for her will be an injustice.

[@user-bu9nb8wr6e]

Someone else made me laugh when they said, " Crying without tears is just pulling a face, luv."

[@cliveclerkenville2637]

How on earth is this person in charge of ANYTHING?

[@monicagrorud2225]

Mrs potato head, but many heads of companies are the same , they get there by knowing others just like them.

[@heresjohnny999]

She’s a Tory I bet

[@philipfriend9737]

Not fit to be in charge of the local public toilet.

[@timguinn5376]

Kept on asking for the questions to be repeated, knowing full well that they were only given an hour to question her. Desperately trying to hide the truth that she deliberately ensured that the post office staff would be prosecuted and punished, whilst knowing that they were innocent. And all of that to just keep her job 🤬

[@davidfogarty2220]

On your bike Vennells! You have been found wanting and no amount of tears will wash that away. Those two lawyers are certainly not holding back in letting her know the total incompetent she was. What's the betting she moves abroad when it's all over?

[@joebarrett4353]

seems OK for an ordained Christian to lie. I wonder what her god thinks about this?

[@christopherjohnson8896]

Exactly.

[@mcgoverg1]

She doesn’t believe in his retribution, I’m no Christian but I hope she’s wrong

[@tonyprice3884]

What a bloody hypocrite

[@Stevies_Precog_Gym_n_Spa420]

There are mob bosses with less on their conscience than this incredible worm of a person

[@ApostleOfZeus199]

Time for the rich to start being dealt peasant sentences.

[@mokomaka141]

Bring out the sharpening stones..

[@user-gv1ep1tv5m]

She must have had the image of prison bars flash before her eyes.

[@BlackStump172]

They will probably give her a friendly judge who will retire straight after ,

[@grumpy-dad3701]

A typical person in a high position She showed complete compassion and took difficult decisions daily to jail innocent people. It wasn't me, it was someone else. I'm just in charge Ita unacceptable now but at the time he was fair game

[@eddyr3691]

Well put

[@MrGavinBoyd]

The Post Office inquiry is theatre for the masses. Will any of those responsible face a criminal trial and go to prison?

[@dianapeek6936]

Don't hold your breath.

[@mcgoverg1]

The old boys/girls network is fully in place and fully supportive of her and her type

[@michaelmouse4024]

PV asked for background info on the mental health of a complainant who killed himself. How was she intending to pursue this? Data theft, burglary, bribery of officials, phone hacking? Sounds illegal.

[@Sandra-tu7pl]

Can she sink any lower?

[@ianmcdonald6496]

The horizon system still has faults

[@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559]

Do you mean to say that after all the lives it has ruined, they're still using it?

[@mcgoverg1]

@@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559apparently the cost of introducing a new system is beyond the value of a human life. Better to live with the glitches and, if you are a post/sub post office manager, understand that you don’t really matter.

[@SirBenJamin_]

That second shot is definitely going to become a meme. Unless we make an example of her (and those involved in the blood scandal) what's to stop people from doing this again, .. its worth the risk? She should get prison time and lose every asset she owns, with all the money going towards compensating those who lost

[@MrRodigan]

Did she cry as hard as those family’s who lost loved ones because of her

[@MrDarkweaver]

"I let people down?" - You were directly responsible as Managing Director or CEO. You are either incompetent to a level of criminal negligence or you are lying about your motives and involvement. Either way you need to be held accountable, lose your pension, and frankly be sent to jail. The SPMs weren't allowed to apologise and walk away from this, and neither should you.

[@dextercool]

According to PV, a CEO's job is to believe everything they are told without questions and rubberstamp any view given to her. No thought required.

[@Steve-uf8pk]

Vennells a women of the cloth apparently. However she has no worries concerning prosecution, the British establishment looks after its own!

[@maggi0310]

Deffo we had paedo as our local vicar till he got sent down..bishops knew bout it..said nothing...that tells you all uneed to know about clergy

[@superablemind-s.a.m6937]

Why are they still using horizon ?!?

[@SammyInnit]

Why has the CPS not pushed for a criminal trial in the instance of Vennels?

[@mark.lawrence]

whoever hired her needs jailing aswell... due diligence? i wouldn't give her a mop job...

[@MrButtonpresser]

Such a selective memory.

[@namara22]

The heartbreaking thing is that no one is going to go to prison for this, and the sub postmasters aren’t likely to see any of their money back!! This enormous miscarriage of justice will go down in history! Shame on Paula Vennells, her team of minions, and Fujitsu!

[@amandanixon7819]

It amazes me how many people like her can be in such a privileged position and be totally clueless about what she’s doing ruining so many lives in the process! I don’t feel sorry for her at all

[@SBSlade]

Tortoise on a fence post.

[@keiranmorrisart]

Why hasnt she be nicked, for some reason when rich people break the law year long inquiries are needed. Average joe, the process can start with metal bracelets

[@ragerancher]

I have a grand total of 0 sympathy for this foul woman. She should be locked up for what she did.

[@delldell21]

She really does need a custodial sentence given how many lives she's ruined.

[@happymammaries]

Not just her. Include the others that perverted the course of justice.

[@user-hi1et2tb5u]

Rotten to the core.

[@cherylmcnair5594]

How would you watch innocent people go to prison and then have the bare face to pretend to cry. This is what you would call a career criminal.

[@nevillewright1998]

like most wrongdoers, The apologies and tears only came into being once they were found out. The evidence smacks of a cover up from the investigators and lawyers all the way up to the execs. Lives lost and ruined. Heads MUST roll.

[@nonsibi1087]

Vennells possesses a profound lack of integrity! “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, football field, in an army, or in an office.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower.

[@karinpewe3840]

If this woman doesn´t end up in jail, it would give a serious blow to the credibility of the UK justice system.

[@johnboxall2773]

Destroying peoples lives,surely she should be jailed.

[@robk181]

Let's move quickly on to a jury of 12 and wrap this up

[@fizzer11]

My thoughts exactly

[@BlackStump172]

Will she be charged and with what ?

[@vincelicata5880]

Can she be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice …. ?

[@beautybev]

This should be done in a court of law with a judge and jury. And then she would get the sentence she deserves!!!!

[@lynnelongman2466]

Jail, Jail, Jail. All money received in bonuses should be taken back and given to the people who suffered so much at the hands of this evil woman.

[@cphone8093]

The barristers at this enquiry did a great job breaking down the delusional denial and lies of this woman. Her twisted self-righteousness is blatently clear for all to see. Someone with no moral compass should not be a Reverand in a church, they should be in prison.

[@marktronic9637]

She and many others didn’t think that Alan Bates and the JFSA would continue to discover the truth. Very bad to u underestimate so many wronged SPMs. She’s now being lined up as the scapegoat and rightly so!

[@hankchinaski4075]

Prison sentence needed. The people want justice. All these inquiries, nobody ever pays the price - everything from the 2008 financial crisis, C 19 debacle, hell even Tony Blare walking around a free man. But this should never of happened. The Great British nation needs to go to Japan to develop us what is basically a xls spreedsheet, why can't we do that, unbelievable!

[@wezzmusic]

Edward Henry KC is so on the ball and direct at batting away lies that he should get a knighthood for exposing the evil she really is.

[@edwardharris2388]

crocodile tears

[@BOZ_11]

"If she's crying, she's lying"

[@alantheloneranger]

I hope her colleagues, who she is throwing under the bus, has emails and texts informing her of the bugs in the system, for which she says she wasn't told of

[@mrmyorky5634]

She wasn't crying when she buried the independent findings into the reliability of the Horizon system and decided instead to blame and destroy the lives of hundreds of Postmasters. She truly is the worst example of greed versus honesty that most people have ever experienced.

[@brismith2728]

She pretends to cry! She loved the Post Office! Just not enough to care about the people in the the actual Post Offices! She is a liar and must be held accountable, chances of that happening zero. Jail for her!!!!!

[@RichardPonsford-kv2uy]

**** should be jailed.