Paula Vennells described the cases of wrongly convicted sub-postmasters as “very disturbing” in a 2013 email that has been labelled the scandal’s “smoking gun”.
In the email the former chief executive confirms she received and read key evidence about possible wrongful convictions, including that of a sub-postmaster who went to jail.
“I have just read through the attachments. Apart from finding them very disturbing (I defy anyone not to), I am now even better informed,” she wrote, adding: “I take this very seriously.”
The reply was sent more than five hours after she received documents filed by eight sub-postmasters, two of whom had served time in jail, and relates to a scheme designed to mediate their complaints.
One of the files related to Noel