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Witness Name: Mr Christian Clement
Statement No: WITN0284_01
Exhibits: None
Dated: 08/02/22
THE POST OFFICE HORIZON INQUIRY
FIRST WITNESS STATEMENT OF MR CHRISTIAN CLEMENT
1, MR CHRISTIAN CLEMENT WILL SAY as follows:
INTRODUCTION
1. I am grateful to the Chair to be invited to provide a “human impact” statement,
concerning the physical, psychological, emotional, reputational and financial
consequences to me and my family of being held responsible for shortfalls shown by
the Horizon IT system and Post Office Limited’s actions toward me and my family.
The initial paragraphs below provide a brief summary of my background, and provide
context to the detail of the human impact of the Horizon scandal on me and my
family. This statement does not reflect a full account of my experiences or those of
my family and if necessary or required I will provide further witness statement
evidence.
BACKGROUND
2. I was a subpostmaster of Manselton Post Office, in Manselton, from approximately
the 22 December 2007 to approximately October 2015. I lived in the attached
residential premises, the post office was my home.
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3. Prior to becoming a subpostmaster, I was a Branch Assistant at Trallwn Post Office in
Swansea from approximately the 6 July 1999 to approximately the 8 September
2006.
4, I became a postmaster, just like my father, thinking it would provide a secure a
prosperous future.
5. I operated a retail business from the premises; a retail shop which sold (amongst
other things) cards, confectionary and stationery.
TRAINING AND SUPPORT
6. I received one half day training session in October 1999 at Aberavon Seafront Hotel
in Port Talbot, when the Horizon system was introduced at Trallwn.
7. The training covered several transactions that I would be expected to carry out daily
at the Branch.
8. Overall, I did not feel as though half a day's training was long enough to prepare me
to operate the Horizon system efficiently. I felt as though I had to learn how to
process several transactions through trial and error at the Branch.
9. The training was particularly inadequate with regards to balancing the accounts, as I
do not recall this being covered in the training at all. Initially, I found balancing the
Horizon system to be quite complicated and I felt as though I had no support from
Post Office.
10. I do not recall receiving any further training when I was appointed as subpostmaster
at the Branch.
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HELPLINE
11. I estimate I contacted the Helpline once a month regarding problems relating to
shortfalls and /or balancing.
12. I found that the helpline advisors did not have sufficient technical understanding of
the system to solve the issues that I was experiencing at the Branch.
13. I found it exceedingly difficult to get to speak to the right person at the Helpline who
may be able to assist. I was usually passed through several different departments
each time I called.
14, When I reported unexplained shortfalls, the advisors usually would tell me that there
was nothing that they can do, and I should put the money in myself to make the
losses good.
SHORTFALLS
15. In this section, I set out in very brief detail my experience of shortfalls arising from
deficiencies in the Horizon IT System, and Post Office Limited’s actions as a result.
This is only a brief introduction to those matters, to provide necessary context for
the explanation of the human impact which follows.
16. I would estimate that throughout 10 years working in the branch, I paid (or Post
Office deducted) more than £70,000.
17. The year ending 2008, I paid £1,068. I repaid the amounts in full as they occurred. I
settled all amounts centrally so that I could continue to trade the following day.
18. The year ending 2009 I paid £4,566. I repaid these amounts in full as they occurred. I
settled all amounts centrally so that I could continue to trade the following day.
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The year ending 2010 I paid £4,879. I repaid these amounts in full as they occurred. I
settled all amounts centrally so that I could continue to trade the following day.
The year ending 2011 I paid £24,520. I repaid these amounts in full as they occurred.
I settled all amounts centrally so that I could continue to trade the following day.
The year ending 2012 I paid £15,249. I repaid these amounts in full as they occurred.
I settled all amounts centrally so that I could continue to trade the following day.
The year ending 2013 I paid £4,475. I repaid these amounts in full as they occurred. I
settled all amounts centrally so that I could continue to trade the following day.
The year ending 2014 I paid £7,142. I repaid these amounts in full as they occurred.
I settled all amounts centrally so that I could continue to trade the following day.
The year ending 2015 I paid £3,066. I repaid these amounts in full as they occurred.
I settled all amounts centrally so that I could continue to trade the following day.
The year ending 2016 I paid £5,128. I repaid these amounts in full as they occurred.
I settled all amounts centrally so that I could continue to trade the following day.
In addition to these amounts, I recall a few occasions where I made smaller shortfalls
good in cash. I estimate that these amounted to approximately £600.
A robbery took place at the branch in approximately October 2010. I had left the
branch momentarily to go into my residential premises. As I did not lock the door
during my brief absence, I was made to repay half of the money that was stolen.
This amounted to £53,000.
It is important to understand, that although subpostoffices are small branches, they
can carry very large amounts of money. This was particularly the case previously.
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29. A small branch like mine would be responsible for handling tens of thousands of
pounds, usually as much as 100,000 a week, as much as a building society or small
bank branch. I had no choice in the amount of money I had to handle or keep at the
branch, as this was a requirement of the Post Office. However, unlike a bank branch,
a subpostoffice did not have the security or staff that a bank would have.
30. Despite this, I as an ordinary subpostmaster of a small branch, was held responsible
for very large sums of money. A bank manager whose bank was robbed would not
have to pay half of the money back to the bank, but the unequal relationship with
the Post Office meant that I had to do so.
AUDIT AND INVESTIGATION
3ir I can remember the audits taking place. My branch was audited on an annual basis
since my appointment in 2007. I was not given notice of the audits.
32. On each occasion, the auditors arrived at the branch before it was due to open. The
audit was usually finished by approximately 2pm.
33. Every audit conducted at the branch revealed a shortfall. I was not given a chance to
validate the auditors’ findings at any point and felt as though I had no choice but to
pay back the money.
34, The most recent audit took in approximately May 2017. This audit revealed a
shortfall of approximately £6,000, which I repaid in deductions of my salary of
£1,000 a month.
35. I requested an investigation into the shortfalls, as I could not understand why the
shortfalls were occurring and was repaying a substantial amount of money.
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36. Following the audit in approximately May 2017, an investigation was carried out. I
had a meeting with my contracts manager, Colin Burston.
37. I explained that I could not provide any explanation for the shortfalls and that I was
becoming increasingly desperate.
38. Colin Burston told me that I was on my last warning and that I would lose my job
should any further substantial shortfalls occur at the branch.
39, Colin Burston told me that I was lucky that I still had a job and asked me how much I
could afford to pay back each month. After this meeting, I felt completely
unsupported and let down by Post Office. They refused to even contemplate that it
may be their trusted Horizon system that could be at fault.
SUSPENSION AND TERMINATION
40. I was suspended between October 2011 and December 2011 following an audit
which identified a shortfall of approximately £2,000.
41. After an investigation by Post Office Ltd, I was reinstated to my position on the
condition that I repaid the shortfall through deductions from my salary.
42. A temporary subpostmaster was appointed at the Branch from October to December
2011. I was not allowed into the branch during my suspension.
43. The shortfalls put extreme financial pressure on me.
44, It reached a point where I could no longer afford to use personal funds to make the
shortfalls good.
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45. I was advised that I was on a final warning and if shortfalls continued, my contract
would be terminated. I was in an impossible position. I knew I was not responsible
for the shortfalls; therefore, they would inevitably continue. It was either resign or
be sacked and face public humiliation.
46. In approximately October 2016, there was a second attempted robbery.
47. The thieves did not manage to take any money, but I was hit over the head and
knocked unconscious. I reported the incident to Post Office, but nobody visited the
Branch to see me. I was just given a number to call if I felt stressed. I assume this was
simply because no money was handed over.
48. This incident is again very relevant. After the first robbery I was forced by Post Office
to repay half of the monies owed, despite not being provided with the staff or
security measures needed to protect such large sums of money.
49, On this occasion I was assaulted by the robbers when protecting Post Office Ltd’s
money. I did not even receive a thank you, let alone a visit from a Post Office
manager to see how I was.
50. I felt extremely let down and unsupported by Post Office and so made the decision
to resign from my position. This was in March of 2016 or 2017. I am unable to
remember the exact year. These events are still difficult to go over, as they bring
back such bad memories.
CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS
51. The Post Office did not pursue civil or criminal proceedings against me for recovery
of the alleged shortfalls. However, I received threats from Post Office managers to
compel me to make good shortfalls.
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LOSSES
52.
53.
54.
55..
56.
ST
58.
I have paid the Post Office more than £88,000. I was told that I had no alternative
but to pay the shortfalls
Loss of Investment
I paid £230,000 for the initial investment for the branch.
I also paid approximately £10,500 for renovations to the branch during my
appointment, which included the fitting of new post office counters and a new safe.
I managed to sell the business, but at a loss. The Post Office relocated the branch to
a nearby supermarket and so I lost the footfall from the post office. I also lost the
goodwill of the business.
I sold the residential property for approximately £120,000 and approximately
£40,000 for the sale of my business, which was taken over by the local supermarket.
lam still repaying personal loans I took from the bank.
Loss of Earnings During Suspension
Approximately £8,000 (gross pay) was lost during my suspension from October 2011
to December 2011.
Loss of Earnings Post Termination
If it were not for the events that occurred, I had planned to continue in my
appointment at the branch until I retired in approximately 15 years.
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59. Prior to these events, I thoroughly enjoyed my job and wished to continue to build
the business.
60. I took approximately £48,000 per year (gross pay) from the branch. Therefore, over
the next 15 years I would expect to have earned approximately £720,000.
61. I am yet to obtain alternative employment but do not expect to find a new position
which provides me with as a high salary as my position at the post office.
HUMAN IMPACT
62. I suffered serious problems with the Horizon system including alleged shortfalls.
Incorrect balances were initially in the region of a few hundred pounds but began to
get larger and more frequent and could be as much as a £1000 at a time.
63. I was not involved in the mediation in 2013. I was party to the group litigation
against Post Office Ltd, as a result I am excluded from the Historic Shortfall Scheme.
64. I estimate that over a ten-year period I had to pay as much as £88,000 of my own
monies to cover these alleged shortfalls.
65. I have suffered from stress, anxiety and depression because of the unexplained
shortfalls and the extreme financial pressure put on me as a result.
66. I was constantly worried about losing my job and the severe implications that this
would have on my quality of life. I have been prescribed antidepressant medication
by a doctor to treat my depression.
67. This period was the most stressful of my life. I was forced to move into my parents’
house as financially I could not afford to keep own home on and pay the shortfalls. I
cannot describe the embarrassment I felt.
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68. Financially I was struggling. I could not afford the mortgage payments and household
bills. I suffered endless sleepless nights. I could not understand where the missing
money was going. I knew I was competent, but began to question my own ability.
My confidence was eroded little by little.
69. I found it difficult to switch off, and at the end of the day I would take my worries
home to my family, which caused arguments, tension, and mistrust.
70. I was aware that other subpostmasters had been prosecuted for having shortfalls. I
was constantly worried that I would lose my job or even worse be prosecuted and go
to jail.
71, My relationship of 17 years deteriorated and eventually we separated. The pressure
the shortfalls put me under was immense. I turned to alcohol as a way of coping and
became reliant on this to even sleep on an evening.
CONCLUSION
72. What happened to me and to hundreds of others is an absolute disgrace. I would like
the Post Office held to account for what they have done.
73. They have ruined lives. I would like an apology for their actions and recognition that I
have had my name and reputation dragged through the mud. I and others also
deserve to be compensated for what was done to us.
STATEMENT OF TRUTH
I believe-the.cantertsofithis Statemant.to.hetrye,
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