Paula Vennells

The important thing is that Vennells is brought to justice.
The court case isn't staged for our entertainment, it is for the pursuit of truth and the barrister may use whatever legal means he has at his disposal.
I don't watch the televising of these cases and have only seen very brief clips on the News; there is no need for people other than those involved to watch, particularly as the more gullible are developing sympathy for this appalling woman.

been paid to do

The barristers were doing what they'd been to do. If PV had done her job, because if her 'evidence' is to be believed she clearly didn't, this entire debacle could have been stopped when she took charge.

Often these “Churchy” people think they are untouchable and can say and do as they like.

Her crocodile tears make me laugh.

I haven’t heard enough to guess what crime she might be charged with. It would be very satisfying if there were a suitable criminal hook on which to hang her apparent lack of control of the organisation.

Yes, you’re all right, but I do find it uncomfortable.

Still, it will conclude, and if it follows the normal enquiry pattern, no one will be prosecuted, and the only thing resolved (hopefully) will be compensation.😗

I agree. Everything seems to have been the responsibility of someone else - I didn’t ask, I wasn’t told, I didn’t see that, I don’t remember …

If Paula Vennells was presenting herself as someone accepting true responsibility maybe the barristers wouldn’t be pushing her so hard

Two postmasters, one of whom went to prison, were speaking on BBC news this morning. They said they were heartened by her initial apology but then were angry with her responses to the questions asked.

Good Barristers represent the people who instructed them to the best of their ability. That’s what we are witnessing, very intelligent people approaching this with detailed forensic knowledge of their brief.
I heard Paula Vennells respond to one question by stating she’d spent the last three years working on her preparation for this inquiry. Yes it’s uncomfortable to watch the pressure she’s feeling but -‘ no one deceived you, no one misled you, you set the agenda and the tone’ sums it up well imo
What happened to the postmasters involved is shameful

OldFrill

It would be an excuse not to prosecute, if it was felt she couldn't be tried fairly.

Yes, and me. I totally support the postmasters, but I’m finding that barrister’s virtual salivating over her, and humiliating her, to be a bit uncomfortable to watch.😗

Aveline

Really good barristers don't do that with such relish.

Oh they do, believe me.

I know. I know all that. In my opinion this should all have been dealt with at the time and this situation should never have arisen.
However, I still can't help feeling for this woman being so publicly taken to bits. I still fear that she'll be a suicide risk.

Few barristers are faced with questioning someone whose incompetence and inadequacies has brought so much misery and unhappiness to so many innocent people and their families.

Whenever during her interrogation, I was tempted to feel a little bot sorry for her I reminded myself that her failings put innocent people in prison, led to an innocent child being born in prison and leading at least one postmaster to commit suicide. Not to mention physical and mental illnesses in many more.

Really good barristers don't do that with such relish.

it is extremely uncomfortable watching that lawyer tearing into her. He seems to be enjoying it sadistically and showing off. It leaves me feeling sorry for her

This is what barristers do. Their words are weapons to be used without feat or favour.

When you use language to cut someone down to size it can come as an immense power trip to see the fear in their eyes.

OldFrill

Her witness statement and her three days at the inquiry were all about her defence against any criminal charges.
She even incriminated named the five people she feels "let her down".
She was making a case that she should not be prosecuted and what her defence would be if she was.

She even incriminated named the five people she feels "let her down".

So telling wasn't it...

But worse - that 2014 email to the PO Comms Director after his appearance on The One Show where she said the sub-postmasters appeared "inadequate" and went on to say she was "more bored than outraged" listening to their claims of mistreatment and wrongful prosecution.

"What I’m going to suggest to you is that whatever you did was deliberate, considered and calculated. No-one deceived you, no-one misled you. You set the agenda and the tone for the business.” (Edward Henry KC)

... no-one deceived you, no-one misled you... you set the agenda and the tone...
👏👏👏

Her witness statement and her three days at the inquiry were all about her defence against any criminal charges.
She even incriminated named the five people she feels "let her down".
She was making a case that she should not be prosecuted and what her defence would be if she was.

However, we must never forget those who did commit suicide because of the actions of the Post Office management.

Quite.
I don't know how Paula Vennells can sleep at night.

Criminal negligence is defined as conscious and voluntary disregard of the need to use reasonable care, which is likely to cause foreseeable grave injury or harm to persons, property, or both.

Thank you LauraNorderr; sounds about right then.

She threw those sub-postmasters to the wolves.
All those crocodile tears... she's despicable.

biglouis

Im enjoying watching the barristers dissecting her slice by slice. Death by a thousand cuts. BUT as GSM says what would she be charged with? No one is ever going to employ her and her life as a public figure is over. Unless she decided to write a book.

That's about the size of it.

She's unconvincing because she's attempting to defend the indefensible.

When she says that she 'doesn't remember' it's quite possible on some occasions, she's telling the truth but, there is so much that has slipped her memory or that she doesn't actually know about, or didn't at the time, that she's coming across as an incompetent and a liar, and loses any credibility for those occasions where she might genuinely 'not remember'.

But, as has been said by GSM and others - what can she be charged with?

I think her punishment will be the acute awareness of how much she is disliked - and hated by some. I doubt she will have anymore carefree days in her life, and she's certainly now unemployable but I doubt will suffer financial hardship because of it - unlike those whose lives were blighted by the cover up in which she was a major player.

I'm sensing she's attempting or has tried for a 'Theresa May moment'... "I loved my country" said TM tearfully during her resignation speech. Substitute the Post Office for the country... it seems to be part of her defence.

Unless she decided to write a book...

I wonder how likely that is?

Criminal negligence is defined as conscious and voluntary disregard of the need to use reasonable care, which is likely to cause foreseeable grave injury or harm to persons, property, or both.

Aveline

Imagine how that must feel.

Imagine how it felt to be pregnant and imprisoned for something which you did not do.

Or to lose your husband, wife, parent, to suicide because they were in such despair over the unfounded allegations of criminality by the Post Office.

It's Karma.

Imagine how that must feel.

She’s just had a roasting on HIGNIFY particularly from Ian Hislop who got a round of applause.

She really is Britain’s most hated woman.