Post Office Inquiry LIVE: Watch former CEO Paula Vennells give evidence

The inquiry will hear evidence from the former group chief executive officer of Post Office Ltd, who is listed to appear for three days.
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[@dannymackenny1978]

This woman needs to go to prison

[@spivvo]

Loving this guy doing the cross examination. No room to wriggle Ms Vennells. Top marks to this man.

[@sunnyinsanya2]

This lady, as the head of the organisation, was an expert at sending messages to the company about what she wanted to hear. She didn't want the truth, she wanted to hear the 'right' snswer. She said the priority was to look after the postmasters that were not having problems, meaning she did not want to hear about the postmasters having problems, because she labeled those as thieves. She said 'I need to be able to say....', meaning don't tell me the truth, just tell me what I want to hear. She said 'she can't emotionally consider' the truth as a Code for 'don't tell me the truth' (or you will be fired!). She is extremely tricky with her words and signaling the response she wanted. So the whole organisation was covering up the truth, which is her fault.

[@MM.-qo7pk]

Guilty of corporate man slaughter offences!

[@rsb8653]

I'd like to think so but she won't get this charge. Her lawyers will get her off

[@natalied9022]

The public and victims won't allow that.

[@janetgwendolinetait654]

She should charged for perjury for lying in the parliamentary select committee inquiry!!!!!!!!

[@tonymarshall7292]

Liar shame on her,she is only sorry she got caught out ,and a church goer prison for her

[@debibuxton1335]

High Church of Hypocracy me thinks

[@debibuxton1335]

Lucky God forgives aye..because I doubt anyone else will

[@andrewhubbard4044]

Return all the money she received from huge bonuses what a horrid cold woman

[@onenote6619]

She ruined lives, knowing the evidences was garbage. Now is not the time for her to cry.

[@jogregg6442]

She's crying because she feels sorry for herself, not for all those people whose lives she ruined. Also, she so carefully threaded the needle, easily admitting and remembering anything that exonerated her while claiming not to be able to recall anything that implicated her. I think she was clearly carefully and thoroughly coached by a no doubt expensive lawyer. I don't know her, but I just hate the woman.

[@johnfinnis8373]

JB at his best, effortlessly eviscerating the woeful Paula Venereals and SWJ didn't seem overly sympathetic to her cause either. Another two days of this for her to slowly crumble in

[@gillianforrester558]

Retire and donate your overly generous pension to those you made suffer.

[@natalied9022]

Retire in prison I say after giving back the ££££ she took in bonuses

[@nigelprice7953]

A very impressive performance from Mr Beer KC. Nothing gets past him. Clearly a highly intelligent chap at the top of his game.

[@ggrrtt33]

Has to be criminal trial given the evidence today

[@natalied9022]

I wld say it is obvious a criminal trial is needed from mountai s if evidence already released and her money and that of others guilty ahld be taken to pay compensation and NOT public money! She can afford a few million for sure

[@thesmallnotesduo]

Prison.

[@petrus666love]

Send her too live in a council flat and try and live on Universal Credit and State handouts ! She makes me physically sick with her lies and deceit, and by the way she sacked “ Second Sight “ auditors when they said they found Horizon was a failed process.

[@judithmatthews8460]

Skewered by Mr Williams at the end there. She didn’t see that one coming and she knew the answer was clear. The answer wasn’t she was too trusting!!

[@Mike_5]

This will be shown in Schools for many years to come as part of the curriculum

[@debibuxton1335]

Presumably the classes will be Ethics and Morals (a complete lack of) Remorse (None) Acting (how to cry in public)

[@Mike_5]

@@debibuxton1335 Definitely 🙃

[@alicegarrett452]

why? not getting the logic ?

[@Mike_5]

@@alicegarrett452 How not to be a CEO

[@thesmallnotesduo]

Note to people in 'authority' who abuse the power the public entrusts them with - watch this very very carefully.

[@thetelltalemoozadell]

All that conniving, greed, bullying and ruining lives to protect their "brand" and now their reputation is tarnished forever.

[@willtat123]

Right at the end when Sir asked the question WHY? Her reply was nothing! Priceless

[@bobbyeatsfood2]

Hopefully she will get formal punishment beyond a few questions and the court of public opinion. The amount of anguish, energy and money this lady has wasted in this country is truely amazing. In day 1 we see her ignore, MPs, lawyers, journalists, IT analysts and her own staff in favour of folklore. The negligence is difficult to comprehend from someone in a high government office.

[@wilsonx54]

She was so sorry that when she found out they were at fault she decided to double down,spend a million pound to cover it up and share the money they stole from postmasters to pay herself and shareholders in dividends.The audacity of her crocodile tears.

[@christopherj3367]

Paula never play poker .. from viewing this we can see what you're "Tell" is.. What Mr Wyn Williams that is restaint I promise..

[@josefpurrer1169]

Interested from Oz. PV is saying that she, at the relevant time, believed that the Horizon system was 'robust' and that she was not made aware of failings, including that two postmasters were found not guilty over claims of fraud/theft. Is there any documentation or other record available that demonstrates that she was told this? And when the court made its findings for the 550 odd SPMs- finding that there were problems and the system was unreliable - she appealed those findings? She must have some proof or verifiable indication backing her belief?

[@joanneramsden1514]

Without individual subpostmasters there is no post office. Paula vennels and all other senior management of post office have ruined lives forever. It's disgusting how they have managed to get away with so much for so long. Any other organisation would have the book thrown at them. Justice as late as it will be will not bring lives or livelihoods back.

[@Brimenting]

"Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely..."

[@JoeTreacy-uk2nl]

The Vicar of Fibley

[@emmajohnson3115]

In her position, the buck stops with her - ignorance can be no defense in her case. She (and others) need to end up getting criminal charges and made to serve time, just like the many SPMs that they sent to prison. Am loving Jason Beer and Julian Blake - my new heroes.

[@robertyates774]

The term " in hind-sight " which she uses as a excuse for her total heartless life destroying prosecutions she presided over, is utterly not relavent ! Hindsight meens looking back and not being aware at the time !! She was continually kept up to speed with details of all the bugs and remote access but always put her head in the sand and continued destroying many lives .

[@rsb8653]

It is my belief that she knew the horizon system was faulty well before the post masters were being prosecuted. Vennels needs to serve time. But I very much doubt she will as she's a protected establishment figure.

[@joanneramsden1514]

Omg she needs to wipe that smile off her face. When talking about someone who commented suicide because he felt there was no other way out😢

[@alanhowie1050]

I have been CEO of a few companies. If I didn't know what was going on I'd have been sacked

[@animationsilo]

Im sorry, and i didn't know is all she can say. Just because they look like you doesnt mean they're doing right by you

[@natalied9022]

The SAME performance as that woman in The johnny depp trial.

[@nathantaylor9829]

It's very disappointing the media have focused on her crying. She's clearly very calculated, manipulative woman with a team who have been coaching her on what to say.

[@StudioComposer]

Leading any question with the desired answer in the same sentence is highly-indicative of a blame-shifting mentality... Basically, "I asked the question and he/she said..." She's now in that very dark corner, with political friends and cohorts wishing to disassociate themselves and throw ringleaders to the wolves, with the good Mr Bates loading both barrells of a crowd-funded shotgun.

[@jogregg6442]

"I was too trusting." What a self-serving and sickeningly disingenuous statement she makes (at the very end). God, I can't stand her. There were so many red flags that any reasonable person would have realized meant that the PO's actions were totally out of line and heinous in the incredible damage that it did to hundreds of innocent people.

[@p6steve]

7.11.11 was when she finally realised the game was up!

[@truecrimescotsman]

5:04:49 "The tone of the emails became more extreme and difficult to deal with" (Emails from Tim McCormack highlighting he had evidence of horizon errors.) - She got sent hurty words and no doubt played the muh misogyny card claiming it was "mansplaining".

[@sherimillman53]

Notice how much she detracts from accountability.

[@sinno67]

Crocodile tears !!!!!! Time for her to do time ... Also this chairman !!!! WTF !!! Why does he try turn turn things into a joke !! There is nothing funny about this inquiry. Who cares if there is a leak !!!! This guy is too old for this, typical establishment !!!!!!!!!!!!! Angry !!!!!!!!!

[@joanneramsden1514]

Crocodile tears because shes been found out lying

[@spivvo]

Erm real tears because she’s been caught out and doesn’t like it.