Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesPaul Patterson, Fujitsu’s European boss since 2019, received an internal email about press coverage of challenges to the Horizon system in 2013, according to Computer Weekly. Campaigner Lee Castleton has called on Patterson to stop being a “bystander” and become a “leader.” That is Castleton’s characterization, not a formal finding by the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. Patterson’s evidence to the Inquiry describes a sales role and awareness of prosecution issues before he became European boss, but does not settle what he knew at each point or what action he should have taken.
Who is Paul Patterson?
Computer Weekly reports that Patterson joined Fujitsu in 2010 in a senior sales role and became the company’s European boss in 2019. His connection to the Post Office Horizon contract was commercial: in Inquiry testimony, he described responsibility for new business and later contract renewals or extensions.
Why has he been called a “bystander”?
Computer Weekly reported that an internal Fujitsu email about coverage of challenges to Horizon was sent to Patterson and other senior executives in 2013. The email referred to a Computer Weekly headline as “alarmist”; the report says then UK CEO Duncan Tait also received it. Campaigner Lee Castleton used the word “bystander” and called on Patterson to become a “leader.” The label reflects Castleton’s criticism. The email, by itself, does not establish Patterson’s knowledge of every technical defect, his personal decisions, or how he responded.
What did Patterson tell the Inquiry about his role?
Giving evidence on 19 January 2024, Patterson said Post Office sales responsibilities came into his remit at approximately 2012 or 2013. He described his team’s work as focused on new business and commercial dealings such as renewals or extensions, rather than operating or supporting Horizon day to day. Asked about the distinction, he said: “my engagement and my sales team’s engagement was what was very much focused on the new business into the Post Office. It wasn’t dealing with the service delivery” (Inquiry transcript, 19 January 2024).
#1 Best Overall
That distinction matters: responsibility for selling or renewing a contract is not the same as technical service delivery. But it does not, on its own, answer what a senior executive should have done when concerns about the system or prosecutions reached the company.
What did he say he knew about prosecutions and Second Sight?
Patterson told the Inquiry he knew about prosecution issues before becoming CEO in 2019. Asked whether he was aware of them before taking that role, he answered, “Yes.” He also confirmed some involvement in briefings about Second Sight, the independent investigators engaged by the Post Office to examine disputed branch accounts.
He said his awareness developed over time: “I joined — as we already discussed, I joined in 2010 and, certainly through my career inside the company latterly, I’ve become more and more aware of the issues and, clearly, during in this Inquiry, becoming more and more aware, at a very detailed level.” His testimony records his account of his role and awareness; it does not by itself determine what he knew when he received the 2013 email or establish individual culpability.
What the timeline establishes—and what it does not
- 2010: Computer Weekly reports Patterson joined Fujitsu in a senior sales position.
- 2012–2013 onward: Patterson said Post Office sales responsibilities came into his remit around this period, involving new business and later renewals or extensions.
- 2013: Computer Weekly reports Patterson received an internal email referring to coverage of Horizon challenges. That report does not establish the extent of his technical knowledge or his response.
- Before 2019: Patterson said he knew of prosecution issues and had some involvement in briefings about Second Sight before becoming CEO.
- 19 January 2024: Patterson gave evidence to the Inquiry.
The available evidence therefore supports a distinction between what was reported about the email, what Patterson said under oath about his commercial remit and awareness, and the separate question of accountability. These sources do not establish a final Inquiry finding on Patterson’s individual responsibility.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWhere the Inquiry and redress stood in 2025
The Inquiry published Volume 1 of its final report, focused on human impact and redress, on 8 July 2025. Its official homepage said the remaining volumes would be published together and that their size and complexity affected the timetable; it also said Maxwellisation had begun. The reviewed status information does not establish that the Inquiry had apportioned individual responsibility to Patterson.
A joint statement from the Department for Business and Trade, Fujitsu Services Limited and Post Office Limited, dated 31 October 2025, reported more than £1.2 billion in redress paid and described plans for a postmaster-led restorative-justice process (joint statement). That amount is a dated snapshot, not a current total or proof that the process has concluded.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
