Mr Bates vs The Post Office: The true story behind drama on Horizon IT scandal
The new year has brought with it a gripping, scandalous new TV drama – but the tale it tells is very real.
Mr Bates vs The Post Office depicts the story of former subpostmasters and subpostmistresses who were held liable by the Post Office for financial discrepancies thrown up by its computerised accounting system, Horizon.
Their pursuit led to more than 700 prosecutions, criminal convictions and, in some cases, prison sentences.
The four-part ITV drama, which concludes on Thursday, aims to share some of their stories with a wider audience.
Many of those pursued were told to plead guilty to crimes or face prison, according to lawyers who have represented dozens of those impacted.
They were forced to pay the Post Office money it claimed had gone missing, which meant many lost their jobs, homes and lifesavings.
In 2019, Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance won a High Court case, led by former subpostmaster Alan Bates – the drama’s titular Mr Bates as played by Toby Jones.
That case found “bugs, errors and defects in the Horizon system caused discrepancies in postmasters’ branch accounts”.
Mr Bates ran a post office in the seaside resort of Llandudno in North Wales.
Alan Bates (centre) speaking outside the High Court in London in 2019
“This is an enormously complex and vastly diverse story, which has now been made into a drama. It’s not a factual documentary about what went on, it’s a drama to engage people,” he said.
“So some things have had to be summarised – years have had to be chopped out because they have to take the plot forward. I suppose that’s understandable.
“It couldn’t cover all of the human loss and suffering – there are hundreds and hundreds of people and families who have been affected. What I hope people will realise is that in many cases, even now, the real story is not finished.”
Noel Thomas celebrates with his daughter Sian after his conviction was overturned in 2021
Noel Thomas, 77, from Anglesey, was another former subpostmaster who was wrongfully convicted.
His conviction of false accounting in 2006 was overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2021.
In Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Mr Thomas was played by actor Ifan Huw Dafydd.
Mr Thomas told Sky News the response he’d had to the dramatisation of his story and that of his former colleagues was “fantastic”.
“It’s great to be honest. It’s shown the hero we had in Alan Bates, and lots of other people, in the press, and some MPs too to be honest with you,” he said.
“They’ve been great with us. But the story wasn’t being shared widely enough.”
Noel Thomas
Mr Thomas first came across Alan Bates when former Welsh language current affairs programme Taro Naw found more people who had been affected.
“I have to say, Alan Bates led us,” he said.
“I was a postman and the way I can describe Alan is – as a postman you don’t like dogs, the dog would get hold of you and not let go – and Alan is exactly the same. Once he’s got hold of something he’s not going to let go.”
But while Mr Thomas is glad more people now know what happened to him, some scenes were difficult to relive.
“Going into the cell hit me. Because, unfortunately, I was sent to Walton [a prison in Liverpool],” he said.
“Thank heavens I was only there for two days. But I was locked up. I was only let out to get food. Half an hour at lunchtime and half an hour to three quarters at night. The rest of the time I was locked up.”
Read more:
Explainer: What is the Post Office scandal?
Post Office ‘massively contributed’ to subpostmaster death – widow
Victims of Post Office Horizon scandal offered £600k compensation
Mr Thomas said he has “discussed very little about being inside” with his family.
“I’ve kept it more or less to myself, and the way I’ve dealt with it is we live in a lovely place in Anglesey and we go out and walk a lot,” he said.
“I’ve spoken with some of my friends who I contact often and they’ve been shocked to see what’s come out.”
Who are some of the other victims?
Jo Hamilton was the subpostmaster in South Warnborough, Hampshire, played in the dramatisation by Monica Dolan.
Ms Hamilton previously told Sky News she felt “backed into a corner”.
“They said if I pleaded guilty to false accounting and paid the £36,000 shortfall, they would drop the theft charge,” she said.
“I felt I had a gun held to my head and had no choice.”
Will Mellor plays Lee Castleton, who the actor describes as “an everyday guy”.
“He’s got his wife and two children and he runs the local Post Office. He’s just an average person, like most of these people are.”
Martin Griffiths, a father of two, was pursued by the Post Office for alleged shortfalls of £60,000.
The third episode of the dramatisation shows how the establishment of a mediation scheme came too late for him as he took his own life.
Other victims featured in the drama include Saman Kaur, Michael Rudkin, Pam Stubbs.
Only some of the hundreds whose lives were changed forever.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
The mother of Cassie Ventura has told a court she felt “physically sick” when her daughter told her Sean “Diddy” Combs had threatened to “release two explicit sex tapes” after discovering his long-time girlfriend was dating someone else.
Giving evidence on Tuesday, the seventh day of the trial, Regina Ventura said she did not initially understand the email Cassie sent her in December 2011, saying, “The sex tape threw me, [Diddy] was trying to hurt my daughter.”
The email said Combs was planning to release two explicit videos of her and send someone to hurt her and the man she was seeing, rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi.
Regina said the family took out a home equity loan and paid Diddy $20,000 to recoup money he had spent on Cassie “because he demanded it,” angry that Cassie was now dating Cudi.
She said the money was returned days later.
During her evidence, jurors were shown photographs of bruises on Cassie’s body Ms Ventura said were taken when her daughter returned home for Christmas in 2011.
Regina’s time on the stand was fairly brief, as the defence declined the opportunity to question her.
Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, who dated Cassie in 2011. Pic: Reuters
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial: Day 7 – As it happened
Prosecutors say Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, forced women to take part in days-long, drug-fuelled sexual performances known as “Freak Offs” from 2004 to 2024, facilitated by his large retinue of staff. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty.
The rapper faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs and Cassie pictured in 2015. Pic: Reuters
Last week, the prosecutors’ star witness, Cassie Ventura, who dated Combs for over a decade, spent four days giving evidence.
Combs’s legal team has sought to show jurors that his relationship with Ventura was complicated, and while they acknowledge he was an abusive partner, and had substance issues, they say the sex acts described by the prosecution were consensual.
Read more:
Everything you need to know about the Sean Combs trial
The rise and fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
‘Diddy wanted our bodies to shine’
A male exotic dancer nicknamed “The Punisher” also gave testimony, telling jurors that in the autumn of 2012, Cassie contacted him asking him to “create a sexy, erotic scene” Diddy, and using the pseudonym “Janet”.
Male exotic dancer Sharay Hayes, aka The Punisher. Pic: Reuters
Sharay Hayes said he went on to have eight to 12 more encounters with the couple, having sex with Cassie, while Diddy watched from a distance.
He described the hotel rooms as routinely being dressed with electric candles and sheet-covered furniture, and says Cassie told him not to “acknowledge” her husband, and to “try not to look at him and no communication”.
He says Diddy would often wear a cap, and he could not see his face, but he later realised it was the famous rapper.
“The Punisher” mentioned using a “considerable amount of baby oil” during the performances, saying “[Diddy] wanted us to keep our bodies covered, to shine”.
He later described the acts as “a fetish type thing,” and while he said he believed Cassie was fully consensual, he also said he “did occasionally see her sigh or wince” and said she would frequently look at Diddy “for cues”.
Paid between $1,200 (£900) and $2,000 (£1.500) for each performance, he said he was not called back after struggling to get an erection during one encounter.
He said he never saw Diddy use drugs or saw filming during any of the performances.
Car park dispute with Suge Knight
David James, Diddy’s ex-personal assistant, also completed his evidence and testified that he never saw physical violence between Cassie and his former boss.
David James, Combs’s former assistant. Pic: Reuters
James, who worked for Diddy for two years, said he left Diddy’s employment after he realised his “life was in danger” following a dispute in a car park with rival record label owner Suge Knight, which culminated in Diddy bringing three handguns to try to find Knight and his entourage.
He also detailed an altercation between Diddy and his personal chef, Jourdan Atkinson, and said he refused to file a police report after Diddy told him to say “Chef Jourdan hit him first”.
The final person to give evidence was a special agent responsible for planning the March 2024 raids on Combs’s Miami home on Star Island.
Steve Gannon showed photos of items taken during the raid, including sex toys, high heels and loaded guns, and explained how an armoured vehicle was used to break down the mansion’s front gate to gain entry while the family was away on a trip.
Combs has been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since September and faces at least 15 years or possibly life in prison if convicted.
The trial is set to last for around two months.
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