Blackburn post office cashier stole 4,500

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A CASHIER at Blackburn central post office who stole more than £4,500 pounds within weeks of getting his job has been given a suspended sentence.

Simon Lingard resorted to theft in a desperate bid to get a cocaine dealer off his back, a court heard.

He was given 12 weeks jail, suspended for a year by a judge who ordered that he should be on 12 months supervision, carry out 60 hours unpaid work for the community and pay £400 compensation.

Lingard, 29, who had been living at Brodick Road, Blackburn, had admitted theft. Magistrates had committed him for sentencing to Preston Crown Court.

At the time in January, the defendant was employed as a cashier at Blackburn Post Office, Ainsworth Street.

Rosalind Emsley-Smith, prosecuting, said he had been employed in the Post Office for around five weeks.

On a day in January, the postmaster was not in work due to being unwell. His wife was left in charge and she later rang her husband to say the till was down.

When the husband did a check, it was found that Lingard's till was down by £4,539.07 cash. The defendant made full admissions in police interview, indicating he had fallen into debt with a local drug dealer.

Lingard was a man of previous good character.

The prosecution added that the postmaster and his family had to replace the money that was stolen. This had to be done out of their own personal money and the postmaster had had to work extra hours to make up for what had happened.

Kath Johnson, defending, said Lingard had lost his good character, his job and his employment prospects would suffer.

Judge Graham Knowles QC told the defendant in passing sentence if he had been jailed it would have only been for a short period.