Mr Bates Vs The Post Office

Gassage

Offset said:

Gassage said:

Jason Beer on fire this morning....

"Which part of that sentence do you find unclear?"

Urbane pitbull Edward Henry KC is tearing Rodric Williams a new one, and Williams looks like he wants the ground to open up under him.  An excruciatingly awful performance - he seems ill-prepared, hesitant, shit-scared and frankly clueless.

Not there yet. 

I actually know Sam Stein through rugby- a fine prop forward in his time

Gassage

Offset said:

Gassage said:

Jason Beer on fire this morning....

"Which part of that sentence do you find unclear?"

Urbane pitbull Edward Henry KC is tearing Rodric Williams a new one, and Williams looks like he wants the ground to open up under him.  An excruciatingly awful performance - he seems ill-prepared, hesitant, shit-scared and frankly clueless.

Poor Rodric appears to have early onset Alzheimers.

Offset

^^ 'Rabbit caught in the headlights' doesn't do it justice.  Perhaps a rabbit with myxomatosis?

Gassage

Offset said:

^^ 'Rabbit caught in the headlights' doesn't do it justice.  Perhaps a rabbit with myxomatosis?

Even the great Mr Beer is becoming vexed at Rodric's tangents.

p90fool

ICBM said:

I think this may well be the largest scale conspiracy to pervert the course of justice in British history. Surely it can’t possibly be all swept under the carpet with no-one really being punished now…

I tend to think the opposite, the sheer scale of it means it will be forever diluted and delayed, and will all come out when everyone is dead or senile, Hillsborough style. 

I'd love to be proved wrong, but I just can't see anyone being banged up for this. 

Gassage

p90fool said:

ICBM said:

I think this may well be the largest scale conspiracy to pervert the course of justice in British history. Surely it can’t possibly be all swept under the carpet with no-one really being punished now…

I tend to think the opposite, the sheer scale of it means it will be forever diluted and delayed, and will all come out when everyone is dead or senile, Hillsborough style. 

I'd love to be proved wrong, but I just can't see anyone being banged up for this. 

I feel if Starmer gets in, which he will, he will ensure something is done.

fretmeister

To repost a friend...

"Rodders looks like he's going to ask for a cigarette and a blindfold"

BillDL

I've given evidence in the High Court numerous times in criminal and civil cases.  Even when telling the absolute truth it is a pretty frightening experience where you have to be very careful what you say and how you say it to avoid being shredded, so to be on the stand in an equally solemn procedure while being evasive, non-commital or untruthful must be a sphincter-relaxing experience.

Offset

p90fool said:

I'd love to be proved wrong, but I just can't see anyone being banged up for this. 

I disagree.  I think people will do porridge for this.  If they don't, it'll be a scandal on top of a scandal.

Adey

You see this behaviour in small business a lot -  they know that they are wrong but keep telling the weaker party that they are actually right in the hope that they don't have to pay out any money from their sky rocket.

With the Post Office it seems exactly the same. They new that they had a system that was not fit for purpose but because they were powerful they couldn't help beating up the poor sub-postmasters.

digitalscream

Just removed a comment temporarily out of an abundance of caution (not because somebody was being naughty). I'd say "nothing to see here", but I know what you lot are like...

Offset

Watching Angela Ven den Bogerd being cross examined by Jason Beer KC.   A couple of things strike me. 

Firstly, Bogerd has a remarkably poor memory and seems to be very hazy on roles and relationships within her own organisation.  Infer what you will from that.

Secondly, (and this may just be me) I detect in Mr Beer a sense of distaste for the obviously mendacious Ms van den Bogerd.

Gassage

Offset said:

Watching Angela Ven den Bogerd being cross examined by Jason Beer KC.   A couple of things srike me. 

Firstly, Bogerd has a remarkably poor memory and seems to be very hazy on roles and relationships within her own organisation.  Infer what you will from that.

Secondly, (and this may just be me) I detect in Mr Beer a sense of distaste for the obviously mendacious Ms van den Bogerd.

It's like watching Waqar Younis softening a batter up with a series of bouncers before unleashing a toe crushing yorker.

guitars4you

Gassage said:

Offset said:

Watching Angela Ven den Bogerd being cross examined by Jason Beer KC.   A couple of things srike me. 

Firstly, Bogerd has a remarkably poor memory and seems to be very hazy on roles and relationships within her own organisation.  Infer what you will from that.

Secondly, (and this may just be me) I detect in Mr Beer a sense of distaste for the obviously mendacious Ms van den Bogerd.

It's like watching Waqar Younis softening a batter up with a series of bouncers before unleashing a toe crushing yorker.

exactly - not sure if I should lol or wiz

You instantly create a dislike for her - She may well have been coached/grilled before hand - But her natural 'poor' ability is now showing as she starts to 'try and hide' 

I wouldn't put any of them in prison - I'd rather put them on dustbin duty for at least 12 months - Watch them perform a genuine shit job in all weather 

TTony

guitars4you said:

I wouldn't put any of them in prison - I'd rather put them on dustbin duty for at least 12 months - Watch them perform a genuine shit job in all weather 

Maybe get them on the bins for 12mths and then put them in prison?

Whether it's legally proven to be criminal remains to be determined, but ethically and morally it's a slam dunk.

It's painful watching the interviews.  You know how it's going to end.  Eventually - their only defence is "oh, I don't remember ..." which is neither credible, nor a defence.  

Gassage

TTony said:

guitars4you said:

I wouldn't put any of them in prison - I'd rather put them on dustbin duty for at least 12 months - Watch them perform a genuine shit job in all weather 

Maybe get them on the bins for 12mths and then put them in prison?

Whether it's legally proven to be criminal remains to be determined, but ethically and morally it's a slam dunk.

It's painful watching the interviews.  You know how it's going to end.  Eventually - their only defence is "oh, I don't remember ..." which is neither credible, nor a defence.  

Tony,

There is very little doubt re perjury and Conspiracy to Pervert.

TTony

Their treatment of individual Postmasters is beyond forgiveness.  You can't "compensate" people for lost lives which is what they caused.

That this incompetent bunch of "executives" were also responsible for managing the wider Post Office business into the ground, to the detriment of whole communities (particularly rural communities) and the loss of a valuable national heritage service business adds further to the damage done.

Offset

^^ "Incompetent" is the word.  She is staggeringly so.  A more inept performance it would be hard to find.

Gassage

Offset said:

^^ "Incompetent" is the word.  She is staggeringly so.  A more inept performance it would be hard to find.

I actually don't agree.

I think she's calculating and very competent, but narcissistic and flawed.

guitars4you

TTony said:

Their treatment of individual Postmasters is beyond forgiveness.  You can't "compensate" people for lost lives which is what they caused.

That this incompetent bunch of "executives" were also responsible for managing the wider Post Office business into the ground, to the detriment of whole communities (particularly rural communities) and the loss of a valuable national heritage service business adds further to the damage done.

As the government are effectively the shareholders then such a poor bunch of executives running the business into the ground doesn’t give me confidence into labours plans to privatise the railways- In principle a good idea - In reality with executives like this in charge then ‘hope’ is the best option