POL00044827
POL00044827
Witness Statement
(CJ Act 1967, s9; MC Act 1980, ss 5A(3)(a)
and 5B, MC Rules 1981, r 70)
Statement of
Patricia BOWN
Age if under 18 Over 18 (If over 18 insert ‘over 18')
This statement (consisting of Two pages each signed by me) is true to the best of my knowledge and
belief and I make it knowing that, if it is tendered in evidence, I shall be liable to prosecution if I have
wilfully stated in it anything which I know to be false or do not believe true.
Datedthe 15% dayof November 2004
Signature P.Bown
Before recently retiring I worked as a counter clerk at Riby Square Subpostoffice Grimsby. I held this
position for around 8 years and retired on 23" April 2004. Throughout my time at Riby Square the
Subpostmistress was Gillian Blakey. My duties at Riby Square were the general counter duties such as
serving customers and dealing with any queries and enquiries brought to me. I generally worked three
afternoons per week these being Wednesday Thursday and Friday. At no time was I involved in what I
would term as the back office work, this being the summarising of pensions and the despatching of giro
cheques etc. At no time was I ever directly involved in inputting figures into the Horizon Accounting
System to produce the weekly office balance. Normally each afternoon David Blakey would attend the
office at around 4 0’ clock. At this time he would begin to assemble the necessary information to produce
what I would term as the daily office cut off. This would involve him gathering together from the staff
members who were working the serving positions, the various pieces of paperwork (cheques, green giro
cheques, pension and allowance dockets, etc) that needed to be sent off from the Subpostoffice on a daily
basis. David Blakey would take these items to the end counter position and enter the relevant information
‘on to the Horizon terminal before printing from the system the relevant listings and information to
accompany the paperwork. Each Wednesday, when the Subpostoffice produced its weekly balance David
Blakey would attend the office at the same time and again gather together the information from the staff at
the counter positions. When I left the Subpostoffice at the end of my shift at around 5.40 pm Mr Blakey
would normally be at the end counter position working on producing the office balance at the Horizon
terminal. Towards the end of my time at Riby Square possibly in the last year, I was instructed to alter
slightly the way in which the cash on hand figure was input in to my Horizon terminal on a Wednesday
evening. Each day at the end of business, I would count the cash in my cash drawer and enter that
amount into the Horizon system to confirm its existence in the accounts. Initially this was done every day,
However as said this changed as, on a Wednesday I was asked that instead of inputting the figure on the
Signature P. Bown Signature witnessed by P.Whitaker
CS011 (Side A) Version 3.0 11/02
POL00044827
POL00044827
Witness Statement
(CJ Act 1967, s9; MC Act 1980, ss 5A(3)(a) and 5B, MC Rules 1981, r 70)
Continuation of statement of
Horizon system directly I was asked to put the figure on a piece of paper and give it to David Blakey. I can
confirm that at no time throughout my career at Riby Square Subpostoffice was I made aware of any large
losses, which the office was suffering, despite being approached on occasions by both Mr and Mrs Blakey
when I felt that they needed to get their point across in relation to other matters. I can confirm that I have
never stolen money from Riby Square Subpostoffice or falsified any entry on the Horizon Accounting
System, or other accounting document.
Signature P. Bown Signature witnessed by P. Whitaker
CSOt1A Version 3.0 11/02