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Witness name: Dorothy Day
Statement No: I WITN094401 00!
Exhibits:
Dated: /$ January 2023
~- GRO
POST OFFICE HORIZON IT INQUIRY
FIRST WITNESS STATEMENT OF DOROTHY DAY
My name is Dorothy Day and I am a former subpostmistress. I have been invited by the
firm Hodge Jones & Allen, solicitors for Mr Lee Castleton, a core participant in this
Inquiry, to make a written statement regarding the period I was the relief
subpostmistress for his post office.
1. In around May 2005 I took over from Lee at the Marine Drive Post Office in my
capacity as a relief subpostmistress. I had my own office for 14 years before
that.
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2. I was made aware after I accepted the position that Lee had been suspended
due to discrepancies in the accounts.
3. I found the circumstances a little worrying at the time because Lee and his wife
GRO and I was locking up and going home.
4. I think we all imagine that the post office is the most honest institution in the
country and what they claim must be true. How wrong we all were.
5. Probably not many months before the post office closed, I had an unexpected
visit from 2 people from the post office. They arrived around 10 minutes after Lee
had left the building to go into town. I felt in hindsight this was no coincidence.
6. They said they had come under instruction from post office headquarters. They
came to demand I release all the accounts paperwork to them for the time from
when Lee was appointed subpostmaster until the last completed year.
7. I had not been informed of this visit or that at any time the post office required
paperwork to be released. I told them this but they insisted they had the right to
seize the paperwork as they were acting under instruction from senior
management in the post office.
8. I told them I was sorry but even when a temporary subpostmistress takes charge
of an office, they are deemed responsible for the previous 7 years paper work
and without clear instruction in writing clearing me of all responsibility it was not
happening.
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9. At this point my assistant who worked for Lee and had been at the office for a
number of years agreed with me. They became quite aggressive and told me to
tell her to be quiet.
10.At this point Lee’s wife:GRojwho I have always known to be a very kind person
even in adversity, offered them a cup of tea. They snapped at her and said ‘We
want nothing from you’. I told them they were out of order as she was making a
kind gesture and they were guests in her home. I was shocked by their conduct
which caused the atmosphere to be uncomfortable and unnecessarily heated.
11.1 recall that Lee came back at this point. We offered to make copies of the
paperwork whilst they waited in their car however they refused.
12. Eventually they left when they realised I would be maintaining my rights because
I was responsible for the paperwork.
Statement of Truth
I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true.
Signed:
Dorothy Day
Dated: /S January 2023
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