03 January 2024 , 21:58
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Mr Bates vs The Post Office viewers were left 'broken' after sub-postmaster Martin Griffiths took his own life.
The four-part ITV drama has been following the true story of mysterious financial losses appearing in Post Office tills across the country. When a new computer system called Horizon was installed, it saw numerous sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 for theft, false accounting, and/or fraud.
The drama sees Alan Bates, who used his life savings to buy a Post Office in Llandudno, refuse to accept liability. His contract was terminated and he lost the £65,000 he had invested. Yet Alan - played by Toby Jones - was spurred to campaign alongside other sub-postmasters who had experienced the same problems.
Martin took his own life during the latest Mr Bates vs The Post Office episode (ITV)Branded one of Britain's greatest miscarriages of justice, Alan and five others took the Post Office to the High Court in a Group Litigation Order covering 555 claimants. Viewers watched on Wednesday night as the episode started off showing sub-postmaster Martin Griffiths at his branch in Ellesmere Port.
He was brutally attacked by two armed robbers, who stole thousands of pounds from the safe and broke his wrist. Viewers were stunned at the scenes as one said: "Omg, wasn’t expecting that, so brutal…#MrBatesVsThePostOffice." Another added: "My p**s is boiling already!" Someone else commented: "Wow, so they will blame the poor postmaster for the robbery loss? Unbelievable! #MrBatesVsThePostOffice."
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A fourth wrote: "4 mins 2 seconds P**s is boiling already. Post Office Scumbags." Someone else said: "Please don’t tell me they actually went for a postmaster who was attacked in an armed robbery?" As another commented: "This is shocking, just when you think it couldn’t get any worse #mrbates #MrBatesVsThePostOffice."
Later in the episode, viewers watched Martin become depressed trying to prove his innocence. It resulted in Martin tragically taking his own life. One viewer said: "There are no words." Another wrote: "No, such a tragedy that should never have happened. The more you watch this the angrier and weepier you become." Someone else added: "Martin was killed by the Post Office and the likes of CBE Paula Vennells where is the justice?
"This is gonna be really tough watch I just know it!" A fourth commented: "This is despicable and heartbreaking." Another simply said: "That’s it, I’m broken," as someone else wrote: "This is getting harder and harder to watch. Those poor bloody people. Heads should be rolling for all of this. It's been far too long already." One user wrote: "This is the reality of the scandal. Numerous suicides, people passing away in ill health due to the stress of trying to clear their names."
Judge Mr Justice Fraser ruled computer errors were to blame. In December 2019, the Post Office agreed to pay £58million in compensation and Judge Fraser described the Post Office's denials about Horizon issues as "institutional obstinacy". However, the group were only left with £12m – about £20,000 each – after legal costs.
The Mirror revealed last month that Alan turned down the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) honour as the person he and many others blame for the scandal, Paula Vennells, still retains her own CBE to this day. Alan appeared on Good Morning Britain this week where he explained why he turned down an OBE.
He said: "I was offered an OBE but I've always said it's not just about me. It’s about the whole group. But as far as myself goes I couldn’t accept it. I mean it would have been a slap in the face to the rest of the group because Paula Venells, the CEO for many years of Post Office, received a CBE for her services to Post Office. Well, what service has she actually done?" He added: "She's caused devastation to a major British institution that was at the heart of communities. She's ruined thousands of lives over the years. What on earth has she done to deserve that? It should be taken away now!"
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