Stephen Bradshaw, a former Post Office investigator, has refuted accusations that he and his colleagues acted like “Mafia gangsters” toward sub-postmasters. The investigator has been giving evidence at the Public Inquiry into the Post Office Scandal, which relates to the prosecution of sub-postmasters and mistresses following the use of a faulty computer system called Horizon. During his testimony, Bradshaw denied that he accused a woman wrongly jailed over a supposed theft in 2011 of lying, adding that his language was used in the context of a “difficult interview”. Despite claims made by the woman, Bradshaw refuted allegations of aggressive behavior.
Bradshaw also revealed that he had signed multiple statements, which expressed “his confidence” in the Horizon software. However, he stated that he had heard reports of issues with the IT system from his contemporaries, among whom were people familiar with the technical aspects of the software. Bradshaw’s testimony raises concerns about systemic failures within the Post Office during the prosecution of sub-postmasters. Between 1999 and 2015, there were more than 900 convictions linked to the scandal over 16 years, with only 93 so far being overturned.
During the inquiry, Jacqueline McDonald, who was wrongly convicted and sent to prison over the faulty software, spoke of Bradshaw’s aggressive behaviour and his accusations of her lying during the 2008 interview. Subsequent investigations revealed that the IT system installed in Post Office branches was faulty, but this did not deter the Post Office from prosecuting more than 900 cases. The scandal has triggered renewed public interest and government action, with many seeking to address and rectify the failures in the Post Office’s prosecution processes.
The inquiry has previously heard from other Post Office investigators who testified that the bonuses they received were linked to successful cases they led against sub-postmasters. This has raised concerns that the incentive scheme may have influenced the behaviour of investigators and exacerbated the wrongful convictions. Despite challenges from the Post Office, including the withholding of relevant documents, the inquiry continues to shed light on the systemic failures and malpractice within the organization
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