Mr Bates vs. The Post Office (2024) s01e02 Episode Script

1
The computer system Post Office
spent an arm and a leg on is faulty.
Oh, my God, it's just doubled
right in front of my eyes.
I haven't got that money.
The Horizon system
was working properly.
The losses must have been
caused by Mr Castleton's own error.
How many other
subpostmasters have you found?
Six. Who will go on the record?
I'm thinking set up a
meeting, send out invitations,
see if anyone turns up.
The Post Office told
us you're the only one.
That was a lie.
From this moment forwards,
none of us will be the
only one ever again.
I just think you've
made a mistake, Sam.
I know, but they said if I pleaded
guilty, I could have the shop back.
How is that ever gonna work?
You'll be a convicted criminal.
Look, I'm your husband, and I have
to read about this in the newspaper.
Was on my own in the interview.
I thought I was
doing the right thing.
- Jas, please.
- You're an innocent woman.
You should've pleaded
not guilty like we agreed.
Come on. We're gonna be late.
They'll have started without us.
It was unbelievable.
The lowest day of my life.
Uh, hi.
Uh sorry we're late.
Um, got a bit lost. Sorry.
Are you Is this?
We're all former
subpostmasters. Come in. It's OK.
Please, uh find a seat.
Uh, I'm Jaz Singh.
- I'm Sam, from Walsall.
- Yeah, Walsall.
Well, we're all
sharing our stories, er
- I don't know if you want to
- Go on. Go on.
I had no problems till they
sent us a new Horizon PIN pad.
They just won't have it that there's
something wrong with the thing.
They say I'm piggybacking -
going into the till to pay
out a pension with one hand,
and paying myself
with the other.
I'm guessing they also said you were
the only ones having these problems.
And I'm guessing
they said the same
to everyone else
in this room, right?
I'm such a fool,
I believed them.
I believed them when they said,
"Just confess you
took that £5,000, Sam,
"and you'll be back in
your shop tomorrow."
You shouldn't have done that.
It was the new PIN
pad. It wasn't your fault.
It was It wasn't her fault.
Actually, I pleaded guilty too.
So did I.
You did? I can't believe it.
I-I-I thought we were
on our own, you know.
Not any more.
I'm a mother. I don't
want to go to prison.
Look. We're changing
your plea, OK?
Not guilty.
And this time, I'm
coming to court with you.
Hey.
Now, if you're thinking of
going to court, just be careful.
Well, there are people
here who've done time.
We've all lost our
businesses and our savings.
The question is, what are
we going to do about it?
MPs, neither use nor ornament.
Stop it.
Be nice. At least he's
taken the trouble to turn up.
- Um Mrs Hamilton?
- That's me.
James Arbuthnot.
Thank you for coming.
- My pleasure.
- Do come in.
- Jo's mum.
- Hello.
So, one way or another,
we're all fighting back
every way we can.
We're even thinking
about suing the Post Office.
I'd like to see you
try, with no money.
Well, good job talking to your
MP costs absolutely nothing.
Is this homemade?
It looks delicious.
Thank you, I will.
We thought maybe you could
talk to the government or something.
Yes, indeed.
There are two other cases
in my constituency alone.
Wow. Really?
It's very odd, isn't it?
I mean, the Post Office
is a national institution.
You think you could trust them
to listen to their own people.
- Personally, Mr Arbuthnot
- James, please.
..I wouldn't trust them as
far as I could throw them.
I'm going to ask
around the House,
see how many members
are hearing similar stories,
make an approach to Post Office
management at the highest level.
I think I feel a
campaign coming on.
Oh, that's lovely.
And so my client, Mrs Kaur,
seeks permission to
change her plea to not guilty.
This is because she
had no solicitor with her
during her interview
under caution,
and because there is
also a technical issue
which you may consider
requires expert evidence
concerning a PIN pad.
I can't see anything here.
- Her PIN pad was faulty.
- Quiet, please.
Very well, Mrs Kaur,
I vacate your plea.
How do you now plead?
Not guilty.
Is that him? The
so-called trade unionist.
He's got a bloody nerve.
Federation man.
A federation man who
calls out of nowhere.
How do we know we can trust him?
We don't.
- Michael.
- Hi, Alan.
- Found us, then?
- Yeah.
Never even heard
of Fenny Compton.
All right, everyone,
shall we make a start?
Shall we make a start? Thanks.
Right.
So, welcome to
the second meeting
of the Justice For
Subpostmasters Alliance.
Now, before we get on
to our campaign update,
we have a guest who'd
like permission to speak.
This is Michael Rudkin, friends,
an executive officer of the National
Federation For Subpostmasters.
Not any more.
The federation sent me
back my membership fee,
said they wouldn't represent me.
They told me to get a
good criminal lawyer.
And that was the
last I heard of them.
My so-called union has been in
bed with the Post Office for years.
I can either leave
by the way I came in
or I can tell you my story.
Up to you, pal.
You think you're
the little guys,
facing up to one powerful
enemy? You're wrong.
Post Office don't make
the computers, do they?
No, they don't
design the kit.
They don't write the software,
they don't run the network.
That's Fujitsu.
Multinational corporation.
Headquarters in Bracknell.
I've been there. I've
seen what they can do.
Two years ago, I got
myself an invitation to Fujitsu
to sort out the issue with the
foreign exchange stock control
that we were all
having problems with.
Er, Michael Rudkin,
to see George Delph.
Thanks, mate.
'19th of August 2008.'
- Cheers. Thanks, mate.
- Mr Rudkin.
George Delph, hi.
- Hi. Good to meet you.
- And you.
- Welcome to Fujitsu.
- Cheers.
If you'd like to follow me.
Horizon is the largest
IT system in Europe.
We're very proud of that.
Outside the military, that is.
Cost a billion pounds.
We've rolled out 40,000
terminals to your members.
So this accounts for all the
James Bond stuff, does it?
'All I'm expecting is he'll give
me a bit of training I can pass on.'
All right. State-of-the-art
everything.
That must be why a lot of my
members have been complaining
about your rubbish foreign
exchange stock control.
We can help.
A lot of my members
been losing money.
- Oh, the bottom line!
- Me included.
Meet your friendly
covert operations team.
I get in there, and this guy sits
me down at a Horizon terminal.
So, easiest way to
help is if I just show you
how to adjust your
stock control manually.
And I said to
him, "Is this live?"
Sure. Look at the clock.
So, if I start by adjusting
this from sterling to euros.
'And I said to him'
You're inside some
subpostmaster's Horizon,
and he doesn't know.
He said, "yeah".
"Yeah, I am."
How else am I gonna
show you how to do this?
'And then, right
in front of my eyes,
'he starts changing the
subpostmaster's figures.'
Excuse me.
I've been telling my
members for years
no-one else has access
to their branch accounts.
Uh, OK. Well, um
I'd better put the figures
back the way they were, then,
or they won't balance tonight.
'Ladies and gentlemen,
you know what this means.'
It means they can sneak
in behind your back,
change your figures, bugger
off and leave with no trace.
It's remote access.
Well, makes sense.
It's how they send
updates and bug-fixes.
No, no. No, the help
line. They said that
They said that was impossible.
They said the branch
accounts were totally secure.
That's what they told me.
They lied.
But if they're
getting into our accounts
and messing about in there
Then it's a bit rich
for them to claim
that we have 100% responsibility
when money goes missing.
Exactly.
So, I drive home from Fujitsu.
The next morning, I wake up,
and my wife is stood
at the foot of our bed
and there's an
auditor beside her.
"Your Post Office is now
£44,000 in deficit," says he.
Coincidence?
Revenge.
My wife ran the Post Office when I
was away on federation business.
So, although I was
the subpostmaster
..my poor wife
..is now a convicted criminal.
You're welcome.
Wait.
Mr Rudkin, thank you.
Thank you.
Yeah, it won't do any good.
So they punished him.
They punished him
for standing up to 'em.
It's what they did to me.
They knew I had to fight them,
but they knew I
didn't stand a chance.
They just did it to
teach me a lesson,
to teach everyone
in this room a lesson.
That's what we're up against.
THAT is what we're up against.
The Post Office
are still investigating,
so it's going to take a
bit longer than we thought
as it's now 36 charges.
- How many?
- 36 charges.
No, no, no, that's
totally wrong.
I've got the indictment
right here, Jas.
It's definitely now 36 charges.
But it was 19.
Where have all these
new ones come from?
- Sam?
- I don't know, I don't remember.
And what about
this - her shortfall?
It's now 11,000. That's
more than doubled.
You're selling everyone stamps
with a picture of the Queen on them.
We love the Queen, don't we?
- Is she all right?
- Yeah, yeah. Just
All these delays, they're
doing both our heads in.
Jas, I think we should
get a medical report.
When cases go on and on like
this, it can be hard for the defendant.
She's fine.
I'll just go and see if
they're ready for us.
Everyone's eyes are on me.
It's OK.
Sam, can you get the phone?
Hello?
Oh, it's Jo.
Gosh, you had me worried
there. I'm just checking in on you.
'Are you OK?'
I'm up and down.
Are you getting out at all?
Oh, I can't go out.
Not to the gurdwara, not
even to the supermarket.
I see people I know, and sometimes,
they look surprised to see me,
and I wonder
..do they think I've
gone to prison already?
Oh, Sam if I just had the
money for a stupid train ticket.
I wouldn't be much fun for you, Jo.
Oh, God!
Sam, what is it?
It's OK, it's OK.
I'm all right, Jo.
It's just the postman.
Every time the door goes
I think it's them,
come to get me.
Oh.
'Oh, you poor thing.'
Yeah, I'd no idea this was
happening to other people.
I thought I was the only one.
There were nights I was just
sobbing, didn't know what to do,
how to get out of this mess.
It sounds like it was
very traumatic for you.
Well, it's not just me
that it's traumatic for.
'I just think that the Post
Office needs to investigate this.
'There's just got to be
something else going on,
'cos it can't be happening
to this many people.'
Jo was great.
She's a natural.
Yeah, but who's listening?
How concerned are you about these
allegations against the Post Office?
'I'm very concerned about this.
'Cases seem to be cropping
up all over the country.'
And who knew a Tory
MP could be so nice?
'The Post Office have been,
I think, pretty hard-nosed
'in the way they've
taken the cases to court.'
Trouble is, nobody
watches local news.
'And I think their bosses
need to think again
'and be more sympathetic.'
Be ready.
'There are a tiny number
of ex-subpostmasters
'who appear to be
making distinct allegations
'with respect to the operation
of the Horizon system.'
But in two of the cases,
the individuals have in the past
pleaded guilty to false accounting.
I have written back to
the Member of Parliament,
making clear that
Post Office Limited
does not accept
any of the allegations
that are being made
and will robustly
defend its position
if any civil action is
mounted against it.
Freedom of information.
Just when you think
you've cracked it,
they come up with a new
trick to keep us in the dark.
Listen to this.
You're only allowed a question,
to ask a question,
that will take one person
less than 18 hours to research.
I mean, what?
What do you think?
Hey.
Trying to have
a life here, Alan.
I
I just want to be able to take
you on holiday again, Suzanne.
A proper holiday abroad.
Not just camping.
And still half of Snowdonia
waiting to be climbed.
A, the Post Office has
taken all our money.
B, my knees are way
too old for Snowdon now.
And, C, you can't
possibly go on holiday.
You're too busy campaigning,
morning, noon and night.
This is all taking too long.
'My next guest is famous
for pranking the nation
'with hidden camera comedy
shows like Trigger Happy'
Hiya. You OK? Sorry I'm late.
Got held up, so
- It's OK.
- Sam.
Sammy, what?
What have you?
Sam!
It's OK.
- It's OK.
- Sam, what have you done?
- Why have you done this? Huh?
- It's not fair.
Sam, look at me. What?
I had to do something.
- '999.'
- I had to do something.
I need an ambulance, please.
45 Falfield Road, Walsall.
It's not fair.
- B for Bravo.
- It's not fair.
- I don't want to do it.
- They're here to help you.
- I tried everything.
- Ssh.
- I tried everything, Jas, I tried everything.
- I know.
I know, it's OK, I'm here.
Hey, can you stop staring at
us? Just mind your own business!
Sam, come on. It's OK, Sam.
- What's the next one?
- Candy.
Candy, OK. See
if you can find it.
He's doing well. Yeah, he'll
be doing the spelling bee soon.
Eh?
Hello. Mr Singh?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Can I have a word?
Yeah. Um, two minutes
and then burgers. OK?
Hey, how are you doing?
'I want to stress she'll be
sedated, she won't feel anything.'
ECT had a lot of bad
press at one point,
but we continue to find it
very useful in giving relief
to patients as severely
depressed as Saman.
And nothing else we've
tried has worked, so
Just don't go home
and Google it, Mr Singh.
- We'll talk more later.
- Yeah.
Like you're not gonna Google it.
'I know. It's mad.'
But you know the
worst thing, Jo?
If I'd have let her carry on
pleading guilty, like she wanted to
in the first place
all right, yeah, she-she might
have gone to prison, but
..she'd be out by now.
Oh, Jas.
My boy would have a mother.
And Sam would be free.
Treat.
The
problem is relatively very small.
Very few complaints.
But this is a very serious
matter for the Post Office,
whose business rests on our
reputation for being trustworthy.
Well, we all represent
constituents who tell us
that your helpline
is of little value,
that the training
you offer is minimal.
Angela is our Head
of Network Services.
Thank you. Um
Well, the helpline
and support are there.
Now, whether staff take it up
or not, that's another matter.
Mrs Vennells, is the
Post Office saying
that Horizon is 100% foolproof?
Because that would make it
the first perfect software system
ever implemented by government.
The system is robust.
Gentlemen, we
have nothing to hide.
Indeed, we're ready to mount
and fund an independent review.
Well, that's marvellous,
and I'm sure Mr Bates
and the Justice For
Subpostmasters Alliance
will be thrilled to
get involved with that.
Bet you've missed me, Susan.
- How is life in the sleepy old Post Office?
- Sleepy?
- I wish.
- High finance misses you, kid.
I'm a proud public servant now.
Well, I'd wager it's not half
as much fun as your old life.
Chasing down villains
and fraudsters with me.
Susan.
- Is that what we're doing here?
- I don't know.
That's why I hired you.
Angela Van Den Bogerd is
Head of Network Services.
- Bob Rutherford from Second Sight.
- Angela, nice to meet you.
Here to help.
We've pulled a dozen
files for you to look at,
all the cases the MPs
have been pushing.
Anything else you want,
though, we can provide.
Accounts, procedures,
backgrounds, I'll draw up a list.
And I'd like to visit
Fujitsu in Bracknell.
No problem.
Oh, are you not staying?
Knowing you of old, Bob, I imagine
you're itching to get on the road.
Thank you, all.
'Alan, you can't go
and meet him on your own.
'Because how will you know
what to ask this investigator?
'And because she's my
neighbour, and she's really nice,
'and she wants to help.'
"Kay Linnell, Past
Master and Liveryman."
'Kay Linnell,
forensic accountant.
'Alan, bite her hand off!'
Alan?
Alan Bates?
Kay Linnell, Past
Master and Liveryman
of the Worshipful
Company of Arbitrators.
You've been looking me up.
And Board of the Inland
Revenue's former Chief Prosecuting
and Investigating Accountant.
Now, that was a fun job.
Shall we?
May I underline that,
although the Post
Office has agreed to fund
this independent investigation,
Mr Rutherford's
organisation, Second Sight,
will be working for us, the MPs,
and therefore,
indirectly, for you,
Justice for
Subpostmasters Alliance.
So
Alan, Kay, what
would you like to know?
Well, I'd like to know
exactly what makes you think
you're qualified to do this job.
Well, I'm a forensic accountant
of many years' experience.
I don't doubt your paper
qualifications, Mr Rutherford.
I have them here in front of me.
But I see nothing to persuade me
that Second Sight
is remotely capable
of producing a truly
independent report.
One that's ready to bite
the hand that feeds you.
Bob Rutherford is a
member of the Association
of Certified Fraud Examiners.
He has led hundreds of
investigations all over the world
into banking fraud, corruption,
rogue traders, subprime mortgages.
Doesn't answer my question.
How can we be sure
you will investigate fairly
and independently?
Because the people who
suggested me know me of old,
and they want to hire me because
they know what I like to do best,
which is to clear innocent
people who look guilty.
I still don't see how
we can trust him
when he's taking
Post Office money.
- Well, you can't pay him.
- Can't pay you either.
I'll help in my spare time.
What I really need is
lawyers who'll work for nothing.
One day, you'll find
your precious lawyers
and we'll get this
scandal into court.
But we'll need evidence which
mortals like us haven't a hope
of getting our hands on.
But Bob's outfit,
Second Sight
they'll have access to
seven years of raw data.
This Bob
he can't just look at
individual cases, though.
He has to look at Horizon
as a whole, as a system.
Am I to take it you're happy
to support his investigation?
Well, being as it's the
only one we've got
When I first came
to the Post Office,
they were introducing chip and
PIN, and it never worked properly.
The base unit, the
Horizon computer
whatever you call it,
the thing that sits
under the counter,
I thought of it as
like an alien thing.
Sometimes, engineers
would come from Fujitsu,
with their clever badges on,
and I never had any
idea what they were doing.
This is probably a really
stupid question, Bob.
There are no such
things as stupid questions,
only stupid answers.
That £36,000 I'm
supposed to have lost
..where did it go?
I haven't got it.
So who has?
I don't know
but I'm going to find out.
It's a bed-and-breakfast now.
We're private people, Bob.
This was our family home.
But the Post office
gave us no option.
No other way of making a living.
Thank you.
Cheers, love.
My wife has had it so
much harder than me.
Susan was in charge while I
was away on federation business.
She never told me, so I had
no idea she was in trouble.
Even though at least
half my work in federation
was Horizon-related by then.
I said to her
.."You've ruined
my fucking career.
"You've destroyed our business."
- Mr Rudkin, please don't feel obliged to divul
- I said
I said I'd divorce her.
Now, they punished my wife
who never stole a penny piece
just because I
got inside Fujitsu
and saw something
that I shouldn't have.
I think what I
had was a computer bug.
I think it was called a
Callendar Square Bug.
I can't be sure.
But it was real.
It was real. Other
people had it.
Yeah, I tried I tried
to tell the court that,
and I just kept sort
of saying it wrong.
And the more I
tried, the more I
I can't explain it.
Well, it was like
I was on the edge of
a great, dark hole.
I was I was
just falling into it.
The thing is, I knew
that they were lying,
and I knew I was
telling the truth.
And I just thought,
"This is British justice.
"That's all I've got
to do, is tell the truth."
Oh.
- Sorry.
- Oh, no, no, no. God, no!
I don't wanna upset you, I
was just trying to tell you
No
No, it's just, the more
of you people I meet,
the less I know how
you're all still standing.
Yeah.
- Susan.
- Am I expecting you today?
We need to speak now.
Always good to see an old
friend, but I do have a diary.
Not today, you don't.
Lee Castleton.
You know, the one you hounded
all the way to the
Royal Courts of Justice?
- That was my predecessor.
- When you knew he had no money.
You have humiliated him,
you have bankrupted
him, and I don't get it.
Yes. I don't know
why we did that.
Well, let me suggest two
reasons. One, you're stupid.
Or, two, you want to
rub his nose in the dirt,
use him to frighten
off everyone else.
I wasn't even here then.
Oh, please. What is
wrong with you people?
Are we ever to see the PIN pad
that Mrs Kaur alleges was
responsible for her shortfalls?
Your Honour, I can now confirm
that Post Office Limited is unable
to produce the PIN pad in question.
- Because?
- I'm told it was sent away for repair
and has been reprogrammed.
So it WAS faulty?
In those circumstances, Your Honour,
the prosecution offers no evidence.
This matter has dragged
on for three years.
I direct that a not-guilty
verdict be entered
on all 36 counts
on the indictment.
Mrs Kaur, you're free to leave.
Court rise.
Congratulations.
Hey. See?
You were right. It was faulty.
Sam, three years of our
lives, but it's over now, OK?
No.
Because they won't ever put
another picture in the paper, will they,
to say I'm innocent?
Come on.
We're making progress.
Now the investigation is
properly up and running,
I just thought,
enough go-betweens.
What a good idea to
bring you two together.
I do hope it's been
useful for both of you.
Terrific idea. Thank you, James.
And, Alan, I do hope
you'll take away from this
a sure understanding
that Post Office
is as fully committed as you
are to resolving this situation.
Thank you.
And, erm
if there's anything else?
- Uh, no, I
- Actually
Er
Why are you only
looking at 12 cases?
Well, they are the 12 cases put
forward by Members of Parliament.
All the cases where we are alert
to the possibility of
miscarriage of justice.
There are a lot
more, though, Paula.
Victims who were never
charged with any criminal offence.
But perhaps your people
haven't told you about that.
About all the destitution -
people sleeping in their cars,
losing their
house, their health.
Surely you'd like to
hear from them, too?
Is that your
throwaway exit line?
I was just thinking, you
know, if you knew the full story,
you wouldn't want that
on your conscience.
So
Well, shall I suggest
a few names?
Yes, erm
Good idea.
These are what I have here.
- Bob, good to hear from you.
- 'Hi there.'
The day you went to Fujitsu
are you sure it was
the 19th of August?
Uh, 2008, yeah.
Never forget that -
last day of our old life.
Michael, you're not down as
a visitor on their security logs.
Post Office are denying
that your visit ever happened.
- Course they are.
- 'Can you prove it?'
Michael, can you
prove you were there?
Bob, it was four years ago.
'I don't work for the
Post Office any more.'
Look at your new best friend
pretending she can do a proper job.
'It's lovely to be here. Thank you.'
'Paula, how often
do you get to visit a place like this?'
'Probably once
a month if I can.'
Oh, please!
'And what reaction do you
get? I mean, you're the big boss.
- 'Do they get intimidated?
- 'No.
'This is the Post Office.
'I get treated the same
as everybody else,
'and they tell me how it is.'
'And what's it like being the chief
executive of a major company?'
'Well, I think you can tell
by the smile on my face
'that it's it's great.
- 'Retail is detail'
- Shut up.
Shut up, you silly cow.
Come on. Come and
get your breakfast.
I shall present evidence to show
that the Post Office has
made failures in support,
investigation, training,
and I found clear
evidence of two bugs.
Two?
We gave you 47 cases. 47!
And this draft report of
yours only mentions three.
Where's Michael Rudkin,
who can prove they're
lying about remote access?
He can't prove it, actually.
Well, Members of Parliament
would certainly like to see
more individual cases.
Look, the point is
not individual cases.
The point is total systemic
failure, which you don't mention.
Well, we haven't found
hard evidence of that, either.
Well, what would you call
the endless PIN pad anomalies
and shortfalls doubling
before people's eyes
and overnight
so-called corrections?
Well, there are 68,000 users,
processing six million
transactions a day.
Well, this is just the gospel
according to the Post Office.
- Alan.
- For it to be systemic, that would have to mean
that the whole network
was affected. and it just isn't.
What about the way they abuse
their power and prosecute people
without investigating properly?
And then And then terminate
them on three months' notice
and walk away with
their life savings?
Is that not a systemic failure?
We all agreed from the beginning
that the report should be
accurate and evidence-based.
The Post Office has
left a trail of destruction
ever since the day that
Horizon was introduced,
and we're just sitting
around chatting about it
while they're
still ruining lives
systemically.
I agreed to this.
I must've been mad.
Welshmen with
bees in their bonnets.
I was born in Liverpool.
He's an accountant, Alan.
He's naturally cautious.
- Cautious like you?
- I can be cautious.
Wasn't me in there
banging the table.
I've never seen
you angry before.
All that grandstanding,
you mean?
I learnt that from you, Kay.
Ah, I don't get angry,
I just get frustrated.
Second Sight are
going to have to
come up with something
better than this.
'Bob, how's it going?'
Michael. Good. Um any luck?
It's been a long time. A lot
of water under the bridge.
Yes, OK.
'I understand.'
But, uh see attached.
Oh, my fucking good God.
Michael, thank you.
'Thank you so much.'
So, Bob, I can confirm
that in August 2008,
the basement of Fujitsu's
building in Bracknell
did contain a Horizon
test environment.
Note, a TEST environment.
And that's what we believe your
subpostmaster Mr Rudkin saw.
He got the wrong
end of the stick.
The test environment
wasn't physically connected
to the live Horizon system,
so it wasn't possible
for the transactions he
thought he saw to be real.
Got it. Thank you.
- That's cleared that up.
- Good.
I'll see you out.
Thank you for joining
me by conference call.
I'm sorry for the short notice
in keeping the board updated.
The Horizon
review interim report
will be presented to
MPs in one week's time.
The report has found
no systemic issues
with the Horizon computer
system, but I am concerned
that the report from the
independent forensic accountant
is not as factual as expected
..and could lead
to loose language.
What are you?
Poacher-turned-gamekeeper?
This report of yours turns out
to be not half-bad, considering.
Faint praise. I like it.
Oh, I just hope it
makes a difference.
What got Michael Rudkin
into the final version?
Hm. An email inviting
him to Bracknell,
copied to seven named
Post office executives.
Hold on.
So, first, they say
he wasn't there,
then they say he was there.
But, what, his glasses were broken?
I wonder if they even know
they're talking bollocks.
Welcome on board, Bob.
Yeah, they still say that there's no
remote access into your accounts.
I'm sorry, but I don't think
I'm going to be able to prove
that they're wrong and that
you're right on this one.
But, Alan, there
are things in
documents that I found
in the Post Office files.
- Beyond belief.
- Going to tell me more?
Someone else I
need to tell first.
- Wow!
- Good morning. Good morning, Mr Frog.
- There he is!
- There he is.
- Let's say good morning.
- Hello, all.
Bob, we're baby-sitting
in the sunshine.
Isn't he gorgeous?
I was hoping you'd be
sitting somewhere quiet.
Yeah, I can do that, or
I can put the kettle on.
Oh, me and Joshua
will put the kettle on.
Your investigator, Ryan Fleming.
The toad?
Did you ever see
his report about you?
No.
The 17th of May, 2006,
he recorded that he had
analysed your Horizon accounts
and was unable to find
any evidence of theft.
I pleaded guilty to false
accounting instead.
Yes. No evidence means they
had no right to charge you with theft,
and therefore no right
to plea-bargain you down
to false accounting.
Jo, no evidence means they had
no right to take you to court at all.
Everything I've gone through.
Everything I've lost.
Ten years
..of heartache
and sleepless nights
and always skint.
Er, they destroyed
our whole life for a lie?
What kind of people are they?
'The Second Sight report
'presented to MPs
in Westminster today
'was expected to include criticism
of the Horizon computer system
'and of the senior
management of the Post Office.
'But while the report does raise
concerns about unreliable hardware
'and poor training, a Post
Office spokesman said
'the investigation clearly shows
its Horizon system as a whole
'is operating as it should.
'MPs praised the Post Office
'for the way they've dealt
with these difficult issues.'
Alan Bates.
Alan, it's Paula Vennells.
Paula.
Joking
So, I was thinking
..where do we go from here?
Well, um
I've been thinking
about that, too.
Well, great. Should the two of
us try and find a way forward?
If you want something
done properly, do it yourself.
Exactly.
Well
How can I help?