Manager jailed for stealing £78,000 from Post Office

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Published Date: 03 February 2009

By DW

A POST Office manager who stole £78,000 to keep his struggling shop afloat – claiming it was for the good of the community – has been jailed for 12 months.
Barrie Johnson (61), of Kings Store, The Street, Marham, admitted stealing the money from the Post Office between summer 2004 and May 2008 when he was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Friday.

Warwick Tatford, prosecuting, said Johnson had covered his tracks by altering his accounts, claiming to have more money in the post office and more stock than he really did.

These returns were made by computer and the missing money was only spotted when an audit was carried out after four years.

Johnson immediately told auditors he owed the Post Office around £80,000. He regarded it as “borrowing,” saying it would “all balance out in the end,” Mr Tatford said.

Neil Guest, defending, said Johnson had set up the shop and post office with his sister after receiving compensation for a serious accident which had left him disabled.

His sister was officially post-mistress, but she gave him responsibility for running the post office. The shop initially paid its way, but with the increase in online shopping and the arrival of a new supermarket nearby, it began taking only around £1,000 a week, the court heard.

It was the centre of the community and Johnson thought it was important to keep the village shop going.

He told police he had been thinking of the community.

Although this had been a clear breach of trust, Johnson was of previously good character and had been working since he was 16 years old, Mr Guest said.