"Exhausted" postie hoarded 51,000 letters and parcels

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4 ... d_parcels/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AN EXHAUSTED postwoman who stashed more than 51,000 undelivered mail items at her rat-infested home has been spared jail.

Margaret Malcolm, 57, was given an 18 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months at Bishop Auckland Magistrates Court yesterday (Thursday) after pleading guilty to three charges of delaying postal items from January 1995 to October 2008.

The former Royal Mail employee left 51,498 junk mail letters, and 110 packages at her house on Bouch Street in Shildon, County Durham.

Some of the undelivered mail dated as far back as 1995.

She resigned from her job of almost 30 years on October 30 last year after a passer-by reported dozens of undelivered packages, greetings cards, and letters left on a footpath near All Saint's Church in Shildon. Several cards had been opened.

A further 323 junk mail items were discovered in the alley behind Malcolm's house.

Prosecutor Jonathan Moreland told the court that during the investigation, environmental health officers were called to Malcolm's home to deal with a rat infestation.

Over 20,000 of the abandoned mail items were covered in human and animal faeces.

In mitigation, John Turner told Magistrates the defendant started struggling with her round – which took five hours to complete – after breaking her leg in 1995.

He said she had a difficult personal life at the time, and was caring for her brother, who has since died, without any other family support.

"We are not talking about a sophisticated system here, and the defendant did not gain a high amount of money from this," said Mr Turner.

"Life was getting on top of her, and something had to give.

"She has suffered greatly as a result of this, and her prospects of future employment are not very good.

"She has no social life, and is often targeted by members of the community who walk into her house and take items without her permission."

Magistrates ordered Malcolm pay £10.26 compensation and £400 towards investigation costs by the Post Office.

She was also made subject of a supervision requirement, and must complete a citizenship programme.

[stokes11eg]

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4 ... d_parcels/

AN EXHAUSTED postwoman who stashed more than 51,000 undelivered mail items at her rat-infested home has been spared jail.

Margaret Malcolm, 57, was given an 18 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months at Bishop Auckland Magistrates Court yesterday (Thursday) after pleading guilty to three charges of delaying postal items from January 1995 to October 2008.

The former Royal Mail employee left 51,498 junk mail letters, and 110 packages at her house on Bouch Street in Shildon, County Durham.

Some of the undelivered mail dated as far back as 1995.

She resigned from her job of almost 30 years on October 30 last year after a passer-by reported dozens of undelivered packages, greetings cards, and letters left on a footpath near All Saint's Church in Shildon. Several cards had been opened.

A further 323 junk mail items were discovered in the alley behind Malcolm's house.

Prosecutor Jonathan Moreland told the court that during the investigation, environmental health officers were called to Malcolm's home to deal with a rat infestation.

Over 20,000 of the abandoned mail items were covered in human and animal faeces.

In mitigation, John Turner told Magistrates the defendant started struggling with her round – which took five hours to complete – after breaking her leg in 1995.

He said she had a difficult personal life at the time, and was caring for her brother, who has since died, without any other family support.

"We are not talking about a sophisticated system here, and the defendant did not gain a high amount of money from this," said Mr Turner.

"Life was getting on top of her, and something had to give.

"She has suffered greatly as a result of this, and her prospects of future employment are not very good.

"She has no social life, and is often targeted by members of the community who walk into her house and take items without her permission."

Magistrates ordered Malcolm pay £10.26 compensation and £400 towards investigation costs by the Post Office.

She was also made subject of a supervision requirement, and must complete a citizenship programme.

10.26 pence compensation? Beggers belief.

[andy2007]

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4 ... d_parcels/

AN EXHAUSTED postwoman who stashed more than 51,000 undelivered mail items at her rat-infested home has been spared jail.

Margaret Malcolm, 57, was given an 18 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months at Bishop Auckland Magistrates Court yesterday (Thursday) after pleading guilty to three charges of delaying postal items from January 1995 to October 2008.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Where's the deterrant?!?!?!?!?

The former Royal Mail employee left 51,498 junk mail letters, and 110 packages at her house on Bouch Street in Shildon, County Durham.

Some of the undelivered mail dated as far back as 1995.
Why did it take 14 years for anyone to notice!?!?!?

She resigned from her job of almost 30 years on October 30 last year after a passer-by reported dozens of undelivered packages, greetings cards, and letters left on a footpath near All Saint's Church in Shildon. Several cards had been opened.
Why didn't she resign in 1995, instead of delaying all that mail?!?!?
I'll tell you why: She thought she could get away with it. Once she was found out, she quit, before she could be sacked!

A further 323 junk mail items were discovered in the alley behind Malcolm's house.

Prosecutor Jonathan Moreland told the court that during the investigation, environmental health officers were called to Malcolm's home to deal with a rat infestation.

Over 20,000 of the abandoned mail items were covered in human and animal faeces.

In mitigation, John Turner told Magistrates the defendant started struggling with her round – which took five hours to complete – after breaking her leg in 1995.
Why did it take 5 hours, if she was just taking most of it home, or dumping it?
Surely claiming the overtime, amounts to fraud, doesn't it?

He said she had a difficult personal life at the time, and was caring for her brother, who has since died, without any other family support.
I hope for her sake, that she wasn't caring for him in her house. Or she could be looking at Manslaughter charges, due to the unsanitary living conditions, for such a sick man.

"We are not talking about a sophisticated system here, and the defendant did not gain a high amount of money from this," said Mr Turner.

"Life was getting on top of her, and something had to give.

"She has suffered greatly as a result of this, and her prospects of future employment are not very good.

"She has no social life, and is often targeted by members of the community who walk into her house and take items without her permission."
Surely no-one believes that! The house was rat infested, and had faeces covering parts of it. Who would want to even go into a house like that?
Or even want anything from it, if they actually DID go in?

Magistrates ordered Malcolm pay £10.26 compensation and £400 towards investigation costs by the Post Office.
Utterly pathetic compensation amount!!!!!
What about all the people who didn't recieve their Mail?
Who's going to compensate them?

She was also made subject of a supervision requirement, and must complete a citizenship programme.