Post detective jailed for stealing mail

johnnyp · Post by **johnnyp** » 11 Sep 2008, 09:37

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/3663740. ... ling_mail/
Post detective jailed for stealing mail
8:30pm Wednesday 10th September 2008

By Samuel Underwood »

A Royal Mail investigator has been jailed for stealing post - the very crime he was employed to solve.

Stephen Matthews, 39, took special delivery items including wedding rings, airline tickets and cash, stashing the empty packages in his desk at work and in his car.

Matthews, of Greenacres, Shoreham, even stole 2,000 euros from a package which was due to be used in evidence in one of his own inquiries.

His colleagues at the North Road sorting office in Brighton became suspicious when Matthews, who had been an investigator for 21 years, started acting strangely and told them he was heavily in debt.

They searched his desk and found 34 special delivery and recorded delivery postal packets.

Matthews pleaded guilty to four counts of theft and one of making false representations and was today jailed for 15 months at Lewes Crown Court.

Nicola Palmer, defending, said Matthews had committed his crimes after amassing credit card debts of £80,000 and was remorseful for what he had done.

DGP1 · Post by **DGP1** » 11 Sep 2008, 13:18

How can you get £80,000 on your credit cards (bearing in mind that I don't even have 1 credit card)?

F0zziebear · Post by **F0zziebear** » 11 Sep 2008, 13:51

Sums up what is wrong in society at the moment. When credit was cheap it was hrown at people. The debt packaged up sold on, and bankers/brokers made loads. Then one day some bright spark asked for his money back (the butterfly ripple effect) and suddenly someone said, oh I don't have the money. £80k of debt. The guy could not have been eanring more than £40k tops. So how on earth did our financial systems see it fit to lend him £80k. Whatever happened to buying something when you could afford it? This guy needs help and also banging up as a strong lesson in managing your financies. So who picks up the bill for his greed? Me and you is who does. Make me sick

Post by **Lounge Lizard** » 11 Sep 2008, 21:11

F0zziebear wrote:Sums up what is wrong in society at the moment. When credit was cheap it was hrown at people. The debt packaged up sold on, and bankers/brokers made loads. Then one day some bright spark asked for his money back (the butterfly ripple effect) and suddenly someone said, oh I don't have the money. £80k of debt. The guy could not have been eanring more than £40k tops. So how on earth did our financial systems see it fit to lend him £80k. Whatever happened to buying something when you could afford it? This guy needs help and also banging up as a strong lesson in managing your financies. So who picks up the bill for his greed? Me and you is who does. Make me sick

Very true, Fuzzy.
We never had these problems before Thatcher was in power.

andy2007 · Post by **andy2007** » 12 Sep 2008, 08:56

Why did he only get 15 months?
Is it just me, or is that a ludicrously short sentence?
Particularly as he'll probably be out in about 8 months, on Parole!

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 14 Sep 2008, 09:13

Just how meny postalworker's lost thier job's because he had to blame someone else to get away with it!.

andy2007 · Post by **andy2007** » 16 Sep 2008, 09:08

I just assumed that, now he has been found out, they will re-examine his earlier cases. Or am I being too nieve?

norbert · Post by **norbert** » 16 Sep 2008, 10:16

Lounge Lizard wrote:
F0zziebear wrote:Sums up what is wrong in society at the moment. When credit was cheap it was hrown at people. The debt packaged up sold on, and bankers/brokers made loads. Then one day some bright spark asked for his money back (the butterfly ripple effect) and suddenly someone said, oh I don't have the money. £80k of debt. The guy could not have been eanring more than £40k tops. So how on earth did our financial systems see it fit to lend him £80k. Whatever happened to buying something when you could afford it? This guy needs help and also banging up as a strong lesson in managing your financies. So who picks up the bill for his greed? Me and you is who does. Make me sick
Very true, Fuzzy.
We never had these problems before Thatcher was in power.

Lawson started that - there used to be a Les Dawson joke - How do I stand for a loan ? - to the bank manager - " You don't you grovel " - it was half true and you were sent for like a naughty schoolboy .

My dad saw his old Bank Manager in the News of the World ( as a Lib Dem MP ) - he had to get his inhaler out for laughing so much at the nudge, nudge , wink , wink stuff as he'd been in to see him .

blame good old Uncle Sam in the US , that's where the credit crisis came from , reselling on debt & competition - if a Marxist had proposed that idea - he'd have been locked up

the other problem was the Building Societies trying to be banks - more greed ?