Burnley postman stole from mail

[Geezer]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ne ... from_mail/

7:40pm Friday 11th September 2009


A POSTMAN with a gambling addiction rifled through customers’ mail hunting for pin numbers and debit cards, a court heard.

Royal Mail investigators found a stash of ripped up financial mail, rental DVDs and home shopping products when they raided the home of Naushad Panwaskar, Reedley magistrates were told.

Random spot checks were carried out at Burnley sorting office last November, amid concerns that items were being lost on certain rounds.

But when Panwaskar, 44, of Weavers Court, Preston New Road, Blackburn, was approached about the matter he started acting suspiciously, initially refusing to allow officials to check his car or one of his bags.

Investigators could see a white binbag containing up to 30 postal packets in his vehicle but he drove his car off. Returning 10 minutes later, the packets were seen to be gone.

Patrick Ryan, prosecuting on behalf of the Royal Mail, said a search of his car revealed two ‘Love Film’ rental DVDs and two postal packets, and Panwaskar himself had £625 on his person.

But a further search of his home uncovered a stack of financial mail, nearly 100 rental DVDs, jewellery and beauty products, in various names.

Mr Ryan said it was the prosecution’s case that Panwaskar had secured pin numbers from bank letters then waited for the customer’s cards to be delivered later.

One victim, Steven Hefford, noticed a large number of unauthorised transactions, being made via his bank account, for gambling site Dabs.com.

Days later he was told he had insufficient funds after £440 was withdrawn from his account after two transactions, made from a a cash machine either side of midnight.

Mr Ryan said when interviewed, Panswakar admitted to carrying out the thefts for up to three months but, judging by the correspondence seized, it appeared to have been ongoing for considerably longer.

He added: “This was a man who was in a considerable position of trust. He breached this extensively and repeatedly, particuarly by stealing those most valuable items, like financial mail, which cause the most worry when they go missing.”

John Clish, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had not been using the money to fund a lavish lifestyle but had been funding his living expenses using money he stole.

The defendant, who had seen a long-term relationship end, in the wake of the offences, was now suiffering from depression, he added.

Panswakar admitted five offences of theft and was committed to Burnley Crown Court for sentence by magistrates.

[DGP1]

for gambling site Dabs.com

I thought that was a tech supply company I know I've used them in the past.

[andy2007]

How many more times, are we going to see such lame excuses, accepted as "mitigating circumstances"?

John Clish, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had not been using the money to fund a lavish lifestyle but had been funding his living expenses using money he stole.
Just because he hasn't been caught before, doesn't mean that he was ever honest. And does it matter, what he was using the money for?

The defendant, who had seen a long-term relationship end, in the wake of the offences, was now suiffering from depression, he added.
Why is this considered to be relevant?

Panswakar admitted five offences of theft and was committed to Burnley Crown Court for sentence by magistrates.
Hopefully, he'll get a lengthy sentence. Because until they start Jailing his kind for long periods, this isn't likley to stop. What we need, is a proper deterrant.