Post Office Investigator denies behaving like a 'mafia gangster'

The public inquiry into the Post Office scandal returned for its first 2024 session after dominating Westminster discourse this week.
It heard from former investigator Stephen Bradshaw, who denied behaving like a "mafia gangster" towards victims.
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[@catherinehanner284]

Clearly an inarticulate thug who revelled in his so called investigatory role using this opportunity to bully vulnerable people. Disgraceful..

[@drtg101we7]

There’s no need to insult him on the basis of his accent though.

[@canalboating]

His accent has nothing to do with him being inarticulate @@drtg101we7

[@Billy67]

​@@drtg101we7Calm down, calm down🤣

[@Billy67]

A jobs worth little man with a Napoleon complex

[@catherinehanner284]

@@drtg101we7 who said anything about accents. Tweak a nerve did we.

[@Jk-oz5qn]

His denial should be treated the same way he treated those who denied stealing money

[@Rosskles]

I find it utterly preposterous that they weren't in the least bit suspicious that they suddenly had hundreds of anomalous shortfalls coinciding with a brand new operating system.

[@stannelson9975]

Well said 👏

[@hubadabubbada]

Also a fall guy so be careful not to restrict your criticism towards him only.

[@Rosskles]

@@hubadabubbada 100%

[@mygreatbigfoot1679]

But they’ll doubtlessly be demanding a general amnesty for the likes of him and his bully boys and girls.

[@Missmambo12]

Thick as porridge, given power he became a monster. Incompetent and vindictive. No apologies, no contrition. He can make excuses all he likes,he’s culpable.

[@andrewandjoanhart7882]

a model of the perfect corporate YES man

[@user-hp5qw3fv6m]

A belligerent thug seems to be Bradshaw's most endearing quality.

[@Billy67]

Cognitive dissonance with the inability for critical thinking keeps these degenerates who run the world in power.

[@andydudley1775]

claims to be working under pace rules .yet these victims was refused representation during interview man needs a slap.

[@Billy67]

@@andydudley1775 Exactly Andy, well spotted.

[@s.j.bluewater908]

Absolutely. He’s subverted the course of justice. Surely it’s jail for those. Or is it just peasants that get jailed????

[@paulcroxton6047]

Not a thug, just a cowardly bully, using his position to bully others, total wa&%er

[@trickydicky90]

How this tool bag was put in charge of anything is shocking enough. To think some folks went to jail as a result of his total incompetence is just mind boggling.

[@tonyknight9912]

Not just him though.

[@_Ben4810]

It's a ''jobs for the boys'' closed shop in the Post Office......With his long service, there wouldn't be much he didn't (or shouldn't...) know about the business, but he sadly viewed everyone as guilty from the offset.

[@harrydebastardeharris987]

One Tory Scandal after another one. I can’t remember another time in history when the Government was investigated for Parliamentary wrong doing, corruption, insider trading, sexual abuse,fraud. Say one thing for the Tory’s,you name it they’ve done,the most rotten government in history….stupid,ignorant,Incompetent,traitorous……

[@UKRenna]

@@tonyknight9912no, but he is culpable.

[@s.j.bluewater908]

Spot on. He has subverted the course of justice. That’s a jail sentence

[@asmith9140]

He shouldv be prosecuted and fine for his behaviour

[@robtyman4281]

He needs to face trial aswell. Like hell, did he not know about the IT system glitches. Absolute nonsense - hes trying to 'absolve' himself of any blame. Try the big names first......then people like Steven Bradshaw. I don't believe a single word he's saying. He's probably been told to say what he's saying, by Post Office lawyers. Completely disgraceful. Disgusting.

[@mukeshjobanputra6721]

THERE WAS NO GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM. there was a back door in the software, whereby they could login to any sub post office, short the till and transfer the money somewhere else. BLAME THE POSTMASTER! AND ACCUSE THEM OF THIEFT AND FALSE ACCOUNTING.

[@theondebray]

We hope that his time in court will come. After all, the SPMs have had to wait a long time, I hope he is losing sleep over all this, now its his turn.

[@mla7071]

This thug needs jailed!!

[@Steve14ps]

His cellmate may give him a fourpenny stamp!

[@artofsam]

1:12 He was given a chance there to show a semblance of empathy, regret and sorrow to that women and all he could do was deflect and defend his own interests which says everything about his character, his involvement in this put that women in prison for 9 months and contributed to the four suicides among the hundreds of lives destroyed, he is the one who needs to be behind bars.

[@commonsense31]

Exactly!

[@bluebottle1617]

I have a feeling there could be a police investigation into this when the official enquiry is over. And Post Office bosses and investigators could find it being a case of the boot being on the other foot.

[@paulway9926]

What a horrible man and lying through his teeth. I hope he gets what he deserves, JAIL!!

[@tonyknight9912]

Wasn't technically minded yet he's investigating cases where technicalities are at the heart of the matter ?

[@andydudley1775]

hand picked too.

[@Steve14ps]

On that note he was not qualified to do that job!

[@andydudley1775]

@@Steve14ps hand picked qualfication knowing nothing accept how to make inacent people are guilty .clearly he was forced to retire from the met police .he could of made chief of police what a pitty.

[@silondon9010]

Great to see this Bully Boy under pressure

[@jasa4176]

What a very calm and collected person given the circumstances - i'd hazard a guess at psychopath as well as bully.

[@d4zzyb0y]

Can guarantee he wasn't stuttering as much when he was setting the people up

[@davidyersz8668]

Guilty put him in JAIL

[@lunasmum6869]

Jail for life times over to represent the innocent lives he helped to destroy.

[@JohnDavis-ed5sg]

So he didn't actually know anything about the allegations he was investigating, rather like someone investigating a murder who doesn't know if a murder took place (and with a little probing would know it didn't) but browbeats someone into confessing to something they didn't do to get brownie points with the boss. What a douche!

[@kmyers5185]

Obviously Bradshaw is a bully and liar with no remorse , I feel sorry for anybody who had dealings with this low life bully, hope the man gets the cold shoulder from everyone in the future

[@gerardhampson9089]

When they were told they were faults to the system, they did nothing and still prosecuted.

[@paulrichards6894]

they knew and still went ahead

[@lunasmum6869]

Yes, that horrified me. Even though the system faults were well known why did the judge not ask why the prosecutions were going ahead? We now know that the judge was not mathematically or computer literate. Why ever was he put on the case? Lives have been irreperably destroyed but they don't seem to care.

[@lewismacdonald1516]

@@lunasmum6869because in the UK judges have no regulator, they will face no action at all, regardless of decisions they make. Remember they jailed people that had pled guilty to avoid jail, because the Post Office told them if they pled guilty, they would be spared jail, and the judges jailed them anyway, they’re just as bad. Media are so scared of judiciary, they’re never criticised……

[@garyrobson8297]

Reminds me of the Nuremberg trials with the “I was only carrying out orders” excuse 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@ianhjan]

I was trying to think where I had see this kind of deflective behavior, yes of course Nuremberg.

[@atae7185]

The Nuremberg trials were a complete stitch up, so no, not reminiscent. He should be more likened to a communist commissar persecuting people for not towing the party line and then sending them to the gulag with no proof!

[@davidclemmett4372]

Didn't that end up with the odd person getting hung or shot?

[@georgewalker03]

That vile human looks and sounds like the reincarnation of a German SS officer who worked in the Nazie death camps. The vibe I get watching him is scary. Imagine how those poor postal workers felt being interviewed by him.

[@Gilan4983]

His only defence seems to be is that he didn't know thew facts because he didn't do his job properly or wasn't qualified in the first place. Shocking and obviously no remorse

[@johnimg]

Post office acted like morons sending people to prison for no reason

[@TR4zest]

It was much more malicious that them being mere morons.

[@kevinbaxter7390]

The way he presents himself and delivers answers and rocking around in the chair oozes Arrogance,a screwed up facial expression.

[@adelaidelawn]

He was happy to be employed as an 'expert' but is now adament that he was not an expert. He's not one bit sorry and even smirked through some of this. Who employed him? WHO have him the job in the first place?

[@addo-hillpropertymanagemen2604]

No one told the investigator to investigate. I'm gob smacked. After the 3rd incident he had to see that something was not quite right. No one should be telling the investigator that there was a problem with the system that's what HE is hired to find out. This is obviously where the failure happened and it's a travesty that after the 3rd time of happening it wasn't picked up at director level.

[@grudland]

He should be prosecuted for his actions & be made to pay back the thousands of pounds he was given to get innocent people convicted.

[@asmith9140]

Dreadful man Teflon shoulders

[@pillowcase2006]

He is that security guard who seizes on his 35 seconds of power to be a police want to be. The most dangerous rent a cop any civilian could encounter.

[@FUJITRACK10]

Tbh I’m surprised he didn’t say I was just doing my job absolutely despicable man

[@bobjrdj]

He is a snake writhing around in a pit full of snakes who couldn't give a toss about other people and now he has the brass neck to say he acted correctly. Try telling that to all those postmasters he so blatantly set up and so falsely accused of crimes they did not convict. He absolutely must have known that with so many postmasters with the same problem that the system was at fault, whether he had I.T. knowledge or not. He had all the facts from all the individuals all saying the same thing. That is why he kept telling them "they were the only ones with a problem" and that is why he made them sign to say they would not disclose what has happened to them. This is a thug and bully with absolutely no conscience and no moral fibre. But at least he was richly rewarded for his dishonesty.

[@velouris76]

To be honest, comparing him to a mafia gangster, is insulting…to mafia gangsters!!!

[@molybdomancer195]

To misquote a different scandal “he would say that wouldn’t he?”

[@susankeating8678]

Very true, Mandy Rice Davies definitely springs to mind when listening to this bullying creep. What a vile piece of s***t.

[@user-oo4mj3ey3j]

Lock him up for contempt

[@chrismawson8935]

Can't believe this guy was giving evidence under oath. He was evasive, brief to the point of uselessness, and flatly denied events that were witnessed by one or more person. Much of his evidence appears to have been framed by self-interest. Am I right in thinking that a batch of emails relating to his conduct in the past arrived too late for the various KCs and counsels to go through thoroughly?

[@markbush576]

First witness, and the blame game has already started. What are the chances that everyone who is interviewed in this inquiry will lay the blame with everyone but themselves?

[@alicat398]

A liar and wicked man. Shame on post office and all those involved. They must come to justice or the rule of law is just meaningless.

[@josephberrie9550]

he talks like a man who was instructed what to say parrot fashion by a lawyer and a famous son of liverpool what could possibly go wrong

[@gunnerjoe6700]

The arrogance is there for all to see

[@simonn4077]

Man acts like a thug then says 'I'm not a thug' 🤦‍♂️

[@aala7337]

I wonder if he should think of packing a bag for the clink! He had his own lawyer in court,why if he’s telling the truth and nothing to hide!

[@MrBoggins1234]

Name the firm of lawyers and the lawyers themselves that made Bradshaw sign that pack of lies statement in 2012. Need to go the head of the snake, name the seniors, this guy is a blunt instrument.

[@damianodonovan2121]

A forensic linguist would have a field day here. Malevolence, in this one, strong is.

[@chrisbutcher5179]

Very surprised after he investigated several cases he didn’t assess that these were innocent individuals he didn’t twig that they were being set up by the Post Office and Fidgetsu. Not much of investigator fits well in with Post office managers.

[@andydudley1775]

he new the way he acting tells us he new .he enjpyed this his mind was made up before hand his job was to make these people guilty .and the same happened in court the truth is only in the way of swift punishment .

[@giovannisoave9634]

"No problem was indicated by anybody that there was a problem with the Horizon system" .Bradshaw is evil!

[@lordsnootypants253]

If he sloped his shoulders anymore he would had been horizontal. Accusing people under a PACE interview of telling lies should have made his interview utterly inadmissible.

[@zetecrv10]

This man should be behind bars !!!

[@Berlitz81]

Well, the Mafia have a code of honour and know how to deal with those who go out on their own. Bradshaw is like someone who was given a script with a pre-determined outcome which was designed to find everyone guilty. He stuck to the fictitious script regardless of the glaring facts to the contrary .

[@mufuliramark]

I would be interested to know what qualifictions Mr Bradshaw had to allow him to be an investigator...

[@ronabitz5156]

He admitted to signing a false witness statement. So, he lied to the court.

[@tismeagen684]

This man's replies to questions does not seem plausible.

[@simmogj]

Ask the PO and Fujitsu to present the implementation, testing and user acceptance testing records for the system including evidence of full regression testing. They should still have them. Also if annual audits were thorough the flaws in the system would have been identified. I bet the audit reports were tick and flick and developers tested their own work in modules. Not full runs by user reps. Reminds me of a wages system for a road authority.. signed off until we insisted a full test run using real data. The pays of 1000s of road works crews would have gone into wrong accounts with rounding errors. The hostility from some in management was incredible.

[@simmysimmy3748]

Lets also get to the real people who were involved, this person is one of many.

[@JohnMartin-oh6bf]

Parameters have changed…now the innocent will be heard.

[@robertgavin980]

Hundreds of millions of pounds spent on an enquiry -- and after the main culprits have Finnished pointing at each other, a stamp collector from Grimsby will be sent to prison for not paying his radio licence.

[@jaustwan]

The amount of money that's been spent on this so far, from the payments to Fujitsu, the bonuses for the disgusting executives, and legal fees covering it up and wrongfully prosecuting, is staggering. And I can't even wrap my mind around the damage done to the lives of the people. Those involved need to be held accountable, and returning their blood money won't cut it.

[@dragonk849]

I spent nearly 30 yrs in security an have given men Y statements,but never did I ever hand one in which wasn't written by me,

[@fireskycam9889]

It shows who was controlling the narrative.

[@michaelcannon3172]

He was only following out orders. Germans in WW2 comes to mind.

[@gazcobain8155]

What exactly can this sort of person investigate if they are technically clueless? It beggars belief that this sort of person can seriously be hired as investigator, let alone that this has reached court, let alone won in court 700 times. Courts need to have a really good look at themselves.

[@commonsense31]

He is denying that he did any investigation! And now he is saying that he didn’t know anything!

[@IngeDemmendaal]

He just functioned as a crowbar to pummel his victims into submission

[@deeestuary]

No doubt Mr Bradshaw was carefully chosen by the Post Office as ideal for his role of investigator in a matter which was highly technical. Ie he had no idea about technical matters and would do exactly what he was told by his masters.

[@kevinthepilgrim5441]

The black shirt says it all.

[@Bubble_squeeky]

Anyone else think he twigged on but then realised the mess so continued to throw it under the rug

[@simonmorris1626]

Not a nice man needs to be sacked and no pension.

[@chrisfell5073]

Fujitsu knew the software was wrong. People at the PO knew. If he was not told he could not sign that part of the witness statement. The lawyers must have been in on it as well.

[@SithLord1988.]

Over 700 of them common sense would tell something must have been wrong with the new software they used but some how no one thought that

[@kellywalsh30]

Right!! And not one person thought “hang on, there cant be this many postmasters all stealing money at exactly the same time” its just mindblowing how cruel and disgusting their behaviour was towards these poor innocent hard working people who had done nothing wrong 😑

[@fireskycam9889]

And when they couldn't find any actual missing money, they were still either too dumb to see what was in front of them or they were that ego driven they kept pursuing and accusing, with no real evidence.

[@user-fb1dn8rc3n]

Arrogant beyond belief,really thinks he better than others,needs a good wake up call!

[@AnP865]

Wonder how he slept at night. It's crazy. Total jobsworth.

[@robertmiller1299]

Why is Bradshaw still employed by the PO?

[@bobmurphy5966]

Jail time for those on trial at the moment.

[@Tomfromlondon]

Perhaps he shouldn’t have gone for the black shirt tie combo today.

[@user-fq6kx6qx6c]

Gestapo Boy …. I was only obeying orders !!! What a Shithouse

[@gc6855]

I’m not a mafia gangster……… I’ve just come dressed as one

[@martinmcdonald4207]

One thing we learned here is Mr. Bradshaw is not the sharpest knife in the kitchen.

[@FonFreeze]

Those managers thought they have the most criminal staff in the UK and a lot of employees stealing? And they did not have any doubt its cant be that so many people stealing ? And was there any proof where that money went, did they had proof that money went to accused employee? I do not know full story, but those are first questions what I would ask.

[@david672orford]

As far as I have heard they never found any evidence at to where the missing money had gone. The took the position that the subpostmasters neede to explain what had happened to it. Since they could not (because the shortfalls were hulucinations of the computer), they must have stolen it. A common suggestion was that the had used it to buy stock for the store in which the post office was located.

[@andrewandjoanhart7882]

A better portrayal of a 'mafia gangster' Ive yet to see. Possibly related to the Crays - Hollywood calling...

[@stephenhoneyman9743]

Has he any idea just how ridiculous he sounds?

[@david672orford]

No. He does not understand the import of the questions the lawyer is asking, does not know that he does not understand, and thinks them silly and nieve.

[@jeremyroberts39]

If it looks like a gangster, and sounds like a gangster, it probably is a gangster.

[@mudabudda]

Jail

[@johnwilson6707]

i was in charge but i did not have a clue what was going on not very smart as a lead investigator and he is still investigating makes sense

[@brianjones7907]

how can he say it was a PACE interview when the police were not involved in the interview ?.

[@david672orford]

Because he thinks "PACE interview" is just the polite modern term for the third degree.

[@suedavis3525]

He should have considered the possibility that the software was faulty and initiated an investigation.

[@simonminch8423]

With the Kray's and the like no longer around the henchmen went to work for the Post Office. He is typical of someone promoted way above their competence levels. So sad for the lives ruined by these thugs.

[@MyLife-hl4or]

I found it extremely hard to believe anything this man offered. Follow the money. Follow the bonus's

[@MetalSamantha]

Stephen Bradshaw needs to spend the rest of his life in prison

[@jimmyfingers2]

Look at his body lauguage, hes eyes are transfixed on a central point, like he has been trained like most polititions...

[@TR4zest]

He received a bonus for each conviction worth 40% of the money 'recovered'.

[@johndolan4168]

Not the brightest. How do they get promoted?

[@josta2010]

By continually saying "yes boss"

[@MrSkunky2009]

Mafia... he should go to prison..... As Vennels should...and those who are responsible.... Shocking to the core !!!

[@Ralphs-House]

It wasn't me, it was him/her. I suspect this is all we'll hear....

[@greatunwashed1856]

When the post office people heard his accent I wonder if they checked their wheels after he’d gone.

[@paulrhodesquinn]

Poacher turned gamekeeper!

[@greatunwashed1856]

@@paulrhodesquinn A bit scousist.😱

[@MichaelEnright-gk6yc]

If he is anything like he appears in court.

[@ivanconnolly7332]

Some victims are now "swimming with the fishes"!.

[@speed1223]

I don’t believe a thing he has said. It’s a total cover up.

[@kevlacy5306]

Investigated or interrogated? The guy is clearly a thug.

[@philfoster8789]

... One might also employ the word, "tortured". (Torture does not have to be just physical.)

[@John-pg5rr]

Makes my blood boil

[@avakholwadia1420]

This guy was a foot soldier and obviously was given this role because his commitment to the post office. He was given a position of power and did not do his job impartially but in the name of the post office and Horizon. He showed zero respect or remorse for his part in what I can only imagine a devastating impact to the innocent people. He did nothing to question the repeated claims by the sub masters/mistresses. The families that have been ruined.

[@bettyholmes1155]

Innocent till proven guilty didn’t exist in his book just the money he was making he was the judge and jury and all found guilty

[@avakholwadia1420]

@@bettyholmes1155 exactly. The power went to his head and listening to him today he still believes ever word and stands by his actions. No remorse and no regrets is what I took away from his testimony.

[@billhackett6715]

Unfortunately EVERYBODY RISES TO THEIR LEVEL OF INCOMPETENCE. One PM in australia reduced pensions for the masses and then received a salary incrase.

[@whu58]

Thank god Im not a sub post master, otherwise arrogant puppet bullies like this guy along with a few others would get what`s coming to them big time.

[@NickRowsell]

Pit Bull has his teeth taken out

[@memyselfeye662]

He seems like one arrogant & aggressive individual

[@carl567]

Also what about the judges,putting people away,now hiding in their ivory towers,

[@joependleton6293]

When it comes to the software developers, How are they to account for the losses

[@mukeshjobanputra6721]

The post office was transferring money from the sub post office account by remote login and causing artificial losses.