Paula Vennells was done the other week, the Post Office Inquiry is now questioning associates and others - thread 3

[nauticant]

A continuation of this thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5081592-paula-vennels-being-questioned-at-the-post-office-inquiry-followed-by-others-thread-2

When the hearings are going on, live-streaming can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/@postofficehorizonitinquiry947/featured

All of the previous hearings can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/@postofficehorizonitinquiry947/videos

I only watched the last fifteen minutes or so of today's hearing. What a ghastly man!

Following yesterday's performance by Thomson, the NFSP put out a statement by their current CEO dissociating themselves from Thomson and claiming that the NFSP is now "fully open, transparent and public in our condemnation of the Post Office and the way in which they lied to the NFSP and everyone else about Horizon and then deliberately covered up what they knew for many years". It seems they are hoping people will forget that, during the Bates vs Post Office case, they sided with the Post Office against the subpostmasters they were supposed to represent. This was under their current CEO.

Despite their protestations, the NFSP is clearly an arm of the Post Office and doesn't represent subpostmasters at all. It should be shut down.

Does anyone know why Jo Hamilton is often sitting with the legal team at the front? Is it to put SPMR right in the witness faces?

She's a Core Participant so is entitled to sit up front right in the midst of the action. Unsurprisingly, she is highly motivated to attend and see as much of it as she can. And then, as you say, she is right there in the witnesses' faces and this is often used for effect. There'll be a wtiness who played a part in her victimisation and one of the barristers will say "Jo Hamilton, who sits next to me/who sits here today [suffered as a result of your actions]. What did you do to help/do you say to Jo Hamilton?"

This was actually done yesterday by counsel to the Inquiry cross-examining George Thomson:

Can I pause you there. You said every case that was taken up with you, you took to the Post Office. Let’s scroll back on this page, let’s start at page 2. Jo Hamilton, who sits here today. Did you fight her case with the Post Office?

Jo Hamilton, who sits here today. Did you fight her case with the Post Office?

And what was his answer, (apart from a load of bluster)?

A load of bluster followed by a deflection that Mr Blake had to not engage with and so he moved on, otherwise he would have run out of time:

https://postofficeinquiry.dracos.co.uk/phases-5-6/2024-06-21/

Search for "sits" on the webpage and that will take you to the relevant exchange.

Enjoy the weekend all, remember they don’t usually sit on Mondays, Tuesday for Mr Gareth Jenkins.

If you are at a loose end and haven’t watched previous hearings I recommend watching a few of the stage 1 hearings, where the post masters were interviewed

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLzJj3Clv_XS9CEDZalbH9Qv15V4Y_oSb&si=jKLyZ1TyoX3qxD2x

Delurking to thank all contributors to this splendid, informative thread.
I don't think this has been mentioned?
https://www.5essex.co.uk/head-of-chambers-jason-beer-kc-wins-barrister-of-the-year-at-the-lawyer-awards-2024/

Also, someone on Twix has noted that when Ian Henderson appeared, he was wearing an SAS regimental tie. No wonder Chris Aujard didn't scare him.

Delighted to hear about Mr Beer's win. I’d known that he was nominated but hadn’t seen the results.

I saw this somewhere on TwiX the other day and it made me chuckle

It’s so nice to see Mr Beer get the recognition he deserves. He is very impressive.

Morning everyone.
Unfortunately I have stupid work to do this week, so will be behind on watching Gareth Jenkins key testimony.

I think @nauticant useful tip on watching at x1.75 will come in handy.

Seema Misra and Nick Wallis are being interviewed on the Today programme on Radio 4 now in advance of the Gareth Jenkins' testimony.

There was something interesting in that interview. Apparently Jenkins was supposed to have given evidence in Phase 2 (late 2022), but because his position is that what he did, or perhaps didn't do, was down to failures of how he was instructed to be an expert witness before the court, then it wouldn't have been fair for him to give evidence until there was full disclosure by Post Office, and that was so shambolic, and continues to be, that he's only now giving evidence well out of sequence.

I just scrolled back to listen. It'll be interesting to see whether Gareth Jenkins can maintain that position for 4 days of intensive questioning.

What time does it start today? Apologies, but I can’t find it.

thanks

Usually 9: 45 in the room, 3 mins later for streaming.

We've seen a great deal of the PO cabal's modus operandi:

– feed people the answers and language the cabal wants them to give (subtly or not so subtly)
– choose scapegoats and co-ordinate on this, so everyone dumps on the same person

Not surprising Jenkins wanted to come after the cabal had shown itself up in public.

Over 7k people waiting to see this already ……
going to be a very interesting day

5 witness statements - the latest yesterday!

Does Jason sound like he has a cold? Or is it just me? ( I have a cold)

Livestream for today is here:

He's digging a hole for himself here 🙄

Well. He’s out of the traps very early with his assertion that the bugs couldn’t cause the level of losses described 🤔

The next few days should be….interesting.

Onto the usual 'i didn't see nothin'. Ffs

He's v cheerful looking for this setting isn't he?