Thieving postie’s prison plea cuts no ice

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-fe ... uts-no-ice" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A postman from Rochdale who was driven to steal money from letters he should have delivered, failed to win time off his jail term on appeal yesterday.

The judge, Mrs Justice Rafferty, said the general public should have “unassailable confidence” in the Royal Mail — something that could only be achieved by employees having “100% integrity”.

Giving her judgement on Andrew John Worrall’s case at London’s Appeal Court she said that although she had the “greatest of sympathy” with him and the “inevitable shame” it had brought upon the 41-year-old and his family — his two-year sentence was justified.
Worrall, of Newark Road, Rochdale, admitted two counts of theft and one of false accounting and was handed the jail term at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court in May this year.

The court heard that he had delivered post in the Oldham area for six years but that, following divorce from his wife in April 2006 he had fallen into financial difficulties.

He was eventually caught out when a colleague spotted him hiding two greetings cards in his sorting frame, and bosses searched his car.

It was there that they found around 1,500 items of post which had not been delivered, and a further search of his house revealed another hundred or so items.

He later admitted that he had been taking around £20-a-day from letters for two months.

[pinstripe]

I agree completely with this, but I hope we see the same hard line taken across the board.

[not me]

agreed

[POSTMAN]

2 years is a long time for what he done,you get less for doing much worse nowadays,courts are so inconsistent.

[Lounge Lizard]

2 years is a long time for what he done,you get less for doing much worse nowadays,courts are so inconsistent.

Maybe, but they've less patience with wrongdooers up Manchester way.

[swoosta]

Scumbag

[alangate]

I agree completely with this, but I hope we see the same hard line taken across the board.

Its People like him that give the rest of us honest post,persons a very bad name,but i do agree is should be across the board

[fmrPOSTIE]

Quite a stiff sentance that, very unusual these days. But at the end of the day, alot comes down to the judge.

[stokes11eg]

No sympathy for him. but those dishonest Managers should have got the same!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

No sympathy for him. but those dishonest Managers should have got the same!

No worse, their responsibility was greater, therefore the punishment should match that. But it appears as though RM are

[Dee Plish]

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

December 02, 2009


A ROCHDALE postman, driven to steal money from letters after his divorce left him in financial dire straits, failed in a bid to reduce his jail term on appeal on Friday.

Top judge, Mrs Justice Rafferty, said the general public should have "unassailable confidence" in the Royal Mail - something that could only be achieved by employees having "100 per cent integrity".

Giving her judgement on Andrew John Worrall's case at London's Appeal Court, she said that - although she had the "greatest of sympathy" with him and the "inevitable shame" it had brought upon the 41-year-old and his family - his two-year sentence was justified.

Worrall, of Newark Road, admitted two counts of theft and one of false accounting and was handed the jail term at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court in May this year.

The court heard that he had delivered post in the Oldham area for six years but that, following divorce from his wife in April 2006, he had fallen into financial difficulties.

Mrs Justice Rafferty, sitting alongside Judge Richard Brown, said that in August last year, he signed a form to say 700 leaflets had been delivered, when they had not been.

Between May and August of that year, 650 items of post he should have delivered were found in a bin.

He was eventually caught out when a colleague spotted him hiding two greetings cards in his sorting frame and bosses searched his car.

It was there that they found around 1,500 items of post which had not been delivered, and a further search of his house revealed another hundred or so items.

He later admitted that he had been taking around £20-a-day from letters, for a period of two months.

After hearing legal argument from Worrall's legal team, Mrs Justice Rafferty, sitting alongside Judge Richard Brown, said the offence brought "inevitable shame" on Worrall, who had lost his 41 years of good character.

However, she said the Crown Court judge had rightly "stiffened his sinews" and passed an "impeccable" sentence.

Dismissing the appeal, she said: "The Royal Mail must be staffed by those of 100 per cent integrity and the general public must have unassailable confidence in it. I have the greatest sympathy for individuals such as this who are constrained by circumstance to behave in a way that is wholly out of character, but Worrall offended over a period of two and a half years, resulting in theft from Royal Mail. There is nothing impugnable about this sentence and the appeal is dismissed."

[pinstripe]

"Dismissing the appeal, she said: "The Royal Mail must be staffed by those of 100 per cent integrity and the general public must have unassailable confidence in it."

Crozier and the board must be sh***** themselves at that. Then again,they've got Mandelson, somehow the word integrity no longer applies.