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

He knows nuffin, m'lud. Not about why the Benefits Agency dropped Horizon, no sirree.

His hands, flat on the desk and not moving, are quite unsettling.

He must be reading the thread 😂

Sadly, I am busy today, so will need to watch this evening.

What's a dotted line relationship? I genuinely have no clue what that means.

This is an interesting version of events from Jenkins. He'd been around forever in the company, had been given the exalted title "distinguished", he knew Horizon and other things very well, he was visible to everyone as a troubleshooter who would solve problems, and was helpful, and, so, in the minds of many, including those who've given evidence, he had overall responsibility for Horizon, including being the Architect. Which he was not.

You've got your line manager who is responsible for you as a company employee in most respects, but then you might also have particular responsibilities for others, for example specific work areas or projects, and with those others you have a "dotted-line relationship" in terms of management structure.

I think it’s where they are not your manager but your work links. Visualise an organisation chart with solid lines to show reporting lines and a dotted line, on the diagonal, to someone outside your management chain. .

I've been out of work too long obviously (and detest management speak).

My respect for Mr Beer has increased, if that’s even possible. The capacity for Gareth Jenkins to baffle with his computerese language is immense, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be asking those questions. On a very minor level, I have a family member who's in IT and there are traits I recognise all too well in Gareth Jenkins. Including the rapid droning IT gibberish poured out incomprehensibly, at speed.

19,332 currently watching on the Inquiry youtube stream. Then there'll be others watching on other streams.

I've got an elderly uncle, very bright (an academic in his scientific field), these days would probably be recognised as on the autism spectrum, slightly socially awkward, exactly the same way of speaking. Deals with what is in front of him and doesn't look at or think about the bigger picture. Not a people person. GJ reminds me very much of him.

I get the sense there's no malice in GJ. I might be wrong.

It's kind of impossible to know though isn't it? His complete lack of any discomfort would lead me to agree with you, but I have no expertise in the area

So far I'd be minded to agree with you SparksFlyUpward. If you want to see a clear example of something similar, I'd recommend you watch the evidence given by Fujitsu expert Anne Chambers:

I've got an elderly uncle, very bright (an academic in his scientific field), these days would probably be recognised as on the autism spectrum, slightly socially awkward, exactly the same way of speaking.

I spent much of my working life in Government research establishments, and they are full of these sorts of people. They are very clever and knowledgeable about their field, but socially could be described as 'high maintenance' i.e. they were hard work to deal with.

Re malice, of course we can never climb inside someone's mind to use a rather horrible phrase that one of the witnesses (forgotten which) came out with a few days ago. I'm not claiming to have any expertise. I'm just making a judgement, possibly premature, on his demeanour and, as you say, lack of discomfort. If I were on a jury as a member of the public having to assess the character and credibility of a witness that's what I'd be thinking.

GJ 'I wasn't interested in the 'why's'. Just in getting it done '

Exactly.

Break till 11.20 (+3 minute delay) and they'll return to discuss the Castleton case.

A Bond Pierce letter to "Fujitsu Services" making very clear what the responsibilities of an expert witness are, and how to operate correctly in this role.

Sounds like every SW engineer I’ve ever worked with; focused on the code base and thinking how to implement the requirements. The rationale for the requirements is often specified by the client, captured in a requirements doc and those elements get given to a development team to action.

GJ claims no recollection of this letter and says he would have remembered had it been provided to him.

Jason Beer is fast there to stop GJ accidentally waiving his privilege over communications between him and his solicitor.

Who’s advising this guy? Surely someone must be?

Smoking gun time and I have to go out .........bugger !

Gareth Jenkins represented by Andrew Smith, Corker Binning Limited.