Post Office Manager Elaine Cottam appears to be confused not only by her OWN Professional Background but even what the question 'Describe your own professional background' means. Despite this, when challenged by Jason Beer KC, asking questions on behalf of the Post Office Inquiry, she says she has it already prepared right in front of her. It is possible that this is an attempt to explain the clearly inadequate witness statement provided by Elaine Cottam to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry but either way, things aren't off to a great start. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #ElaineCottam #PostOfficeManager

Post Office Manager Elaine Cottam is asked whether she would LIE to the court by Jason Beer KC at the Post Office Inquiry when it becomes clear there is a massive discrepancy in the number of Post Offices she has testified to managing at the Post Office Inquiry compared to a witness statement prepared in 2003 for a prosecution of a subpostmaster. The error, not insignificant, is almost 100 Post Offices higher than she has initially claimed and seems unable, or reluctant, to initially answer whether she would have told the truth at the time in the sworn witness statement provided at the trial. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOffice #PostOfficeScandal #ElaineCottam #PostOfficeManager

Post Office Manager Elaine Cottam writes what appears to be a GLOWING Reference MONTHS Before Dismissal of a subpostmistress, Julie Wolstenholme endorsing her to take over the Post Office. Commenting on her honesty, ability and history with the Post Office, Elaine Cottam wholeheartedly endorses her to take over her sick father's Post Office, that she has worked in consistently for a long time. But things turn sour within months as Elaine Cottam is then charged with writing a lengthy witness statement about apparent theft from the very Post Office she thought she was the ideal candidate for only months before over concerns relating to her and her husband. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOffice #PostOfficeScandal #ElaineCottam #PostOfficeManager

Post Office Manager Elaine Cottam FORGETS Her Own Court Case against subpostmaster Julie Wolstenholme when confronted with the signed sworn witness statement she provided to the court. Despite this, she tells the Post Office Inquiry that she didn't realise there was a civil court nor that there was a court case against the subpostmaster at the Cleveleys Post Office branch. The revelations don't stop there and include testimony that she wouldn't have requested Horizon Helpdesk call logs as she 'wouldn't understand' them as they are 'too technical' despite attaching them as an appendix, named with her own initials, to her sworn statement to the civil court. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #ElaineCottam

Post Office Manager Elaine Cottam tells the Post Office Inquiry that she doesn't understand HER OWN Evidence! Three explanations are given for this including that she didn't write it, doesn't remember writing it and would have only done what the Horizon Helpdesk helped her to do as the situation regarding the testimony she gave for Julie Wolstenholme's civil case brought by the Post Office seems to be in disarray. Despite saying that she doesn't understand the Horizon Call Logs that she analysed, referenced in her own witness statement and presented as evidence to the court attached to her statement she does steer towards implying that others related to Mrs Wolstenholme were responsible for the losses at Cleveleys Post Office. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #ElaineCottam

Post Office Manager Elaine Cottam draws comparisons, or perhaps shows some confusion, when she compares a witness STATEMENT provided through a solicitor to a court to a LETTER that she may sign off as part of her managerial duties at the Post Office. It becomes increasingly clear that the witness statement wasn't written by herself and she potentially identifies two other managers who may have written it for her whilst suggesting that she may have signed it. She discusses the reasons for this being that she wouldn't have understood the contracts of subpostmasters nor the Horizon call logs that the the statement says that she analysed. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #ElaineCottam

Post Office Manager Elaine Cottam OMITS her OWN Involvement in the Court Case of a subpostmaster DESPITE having visited the branch and witnessed Horizon errors for herself as well as personally placing calls to the Horizon Helpdesk to help the subpostmaster with the issues they were facing with Horizon instantly following its introduction in the Post Office. Elaine Cottam says that she cannot recall having an involvement with the Horizon Helpdesk but is shown call logs from her own witness statement that include her as the caller on more than one occasion. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #ElaineCottam

Post Office Manager Elaine Cottam witnessed Horizon Bugs at the Cleveleys Post Office after being called to support subpostmaster Julie Wolstenholme who was struggling with the system and indeed logging calls with the Horizon Helpdesk for help. Elaine Cottam called for an update on the Post Office and was promised callbacks that she never received and then lodged a complaint herself about stock units that were having mystery additions in them, whilst she was present, which meant that the Horizon system wouldn't balance and they couldn't create the weekly cash account. Despite the major issues, Fujitsu closed the call, without informing either Elaine Cottam or the subposmaster as they were already aware of the issue! 3 weeks later, the subpostmaster was suspended from her Post Office. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #ElaineCottam

Post Office Manager Elaine Cottam UNSURE why she's even at the Post Office Inquiry as we analyse her testimony where she's asked directly if her signature has been FORGED on the witness statement she provided to court in the Post Office prosecution case against Julie Wolstenholme at her Cleveleys Post Office. Elaine Cottam is adamant that she doesn't understand her statement, didn't write it and wouldn't have obtained call logs after Jason Beer KC discovers not only discrepancies between the call logs and the witness statement but the curious omissions of call logs where Elaine Cottam HERSELF complained to the Horizon Helpdesk about bugs! Mistake or foul play? #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #ElaineCottam

Post Office Manager Elaine Cottam Robustly DEFENDS Audit Process subpostmasters were put through including the analysis of their Horizon systems, saying that they looked at 'everything' whilst admitting that she didn't know what they did at all! In further revealing testimony to the Post Office Inquiry, she is shown an email chain between Post Office lawyers Jim Cruise and Mandy Talbot where they confirm that Elaine Cottam has a full history of the Horizon Helpdesk call logs after the Post Office lawyers raised that they needed a full audit trail after Julie Wolstenholme and Roger Harrison called the integrity of their Horizon system into question, indeed inviting in Fujitsu to have a look at the system themselves. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #ElaineCottam

Post Office Manager Elaine Cottam INSISTS Horizon Only Had 'Teething Problems' during her testimony to the Post Office Inquiry, despite the fact that she herself, on at least three occasions, complained to the Horizon Helpline about technical problems before saying in a witness statement to court that all of Julie Wolstenholme's problems at the Cleveleys Post Office branch were down to general or usage of system problems. She again tries to deny facts that are noted in her statement and Jason Beer KC insists that he 'isn't willing to cover old ground again'. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #ElaineCottam