Post Office investigators 'behaved like Mafia gangsters

POST Office fraud investigators “behaved like Mafia gangsters” out to collect “bounty with the threats and lies” from hundreds of innocent victims, an inquiry heard.

- Paul Jeeves

The accusation was made against Horizon IT probe witness Stephen Bradshaw by sub-postmistress Jacqueline McDonald, it emerged yesterday.

It came a day after PM Rishi Sunak announced hundreds of wrongly convicted branch managers could have their names cleared by the end of the year.

Mr Bradshaw was involved in the criminal investigation of nine local Post Office bosses, including former Broughton, Lancs, sub-postmistress Ms McDonald.

She claimed she was “bullied” by Mr Bradshaw and pleaded guilty to theft after an audit found there had been a shortfall of more than £94,000.

In her interview with Mr Bradshaw, read by inquiry counsel Julian Blake, he told her: “Would you like to tell me what happened to the money?” She replied: “I don’t know where the money is, I’ve told you.”

Mr Bradshaw said: “You have told me a pack of lies.” Ms McDonald said: “No I haven’t told you a pack of lies because I haven’t stolen a penny.”

Mr Blake said Mr Bradshaw’s words sounded “somewhat like language you might see in a 1970s television detective show”. In his witness statement, Mr Bradshaw said of Ms McDonald’s claims of aggressive behaviour: “I refute the allegation that I am a liar. I also refute the claim that Jacqueline McDonald was bullied.

“Ms Jacqueline McDonald is also incorrect in stating Post Office investigators behaved like Mafia gangsters looking to collect their bounty with the threats and lies.”