Politics latest: Post Office inquiry to resume today after PM confirmed new law to exonerate victims

Post Office investigator Stephen Bradshaw is asked about the prosecution of former sub-postmistress Janet Skinner and the process that led to her conviction.

Speaking to Sky News earlier, Ms Skinner said in 2006 she was told she was being charged with theft and false accounting.

She attended a magistrates’ court for a plea bargain and was advised by her representative to plead guilty so that she would not receive a custodial sentence.

She took this advice and was given a nine-month custodial sentence nonetheless.

It is put to Mr Bradshaw – who was one of the Post Office investigators present for Ms Skinner’s interview  – that he would have been aware she had made 116 calls for help with Horizon.

He says he had “limited input into that”, adding: “I was there on the day of the interview, but [colleague Diane] Matthews would have had the pre-interview… she dealt with everything.”

Pushed on whether he had anything to do with the investigation, he repeats he was “there on the day”, but didn’t do any of the investigative work on her case.

When Ms Skinner’s conviction was overturned in 2021, the judge said there had been an “extraordinary failure to investigate” the more than 100 calls she made to the helpline.

But he rejects responsibility, saying the inquiry was conducted by Ms Matthews, not him.

Ms Skinner was jailed for nine months having done nothing wrong. Asked if he has anything to say to her, Mr Bradshaw says: “If Ms Skinner has been dealt a wrongough [bad hand], then that is completely wrong.

“But I had very little input into the case.”

Under continued questioning, Mr Bradshaw continues to insist he knew very little about the case at the time, and it was the responsibility of his colleague, Diane Matthews.

Speaking to Sky News earlier, Ms Skinner described the “horrendous” time in jail and impact on her family – read her comments and watch the interview in the post at 14.25.