Sub-postmaster let office accounts get £27k into red

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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An inept sub-postmaster accidentally allowed his office accounts to slip £27,000 into the red, a court heard yesterday.
Daljit Benning, 36, from High Street, Harston, was given an eight month suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to one count of false accounting.

Cambridge Crown Court heard the father-of-two left £90,000 of unpaid debts after his previous business fell into bankruptcy and was working as a temporary assistant sub-postmaster in Harston when he was found to have forged the figures in December 2008.

Nicholas Dunham, prosecuting, described how the deficiencies had come to light after an audit by Royal Mail revealed Benning had falsely claimed the office was £47 in surplus.

Benning claimed the errors, including £17,000 in stock shortage and £9,000 in unused lottery scratch cards, occurred because he had not received any formal training.

He immediately reimbursed the organisation after his mother used her savings to pay off the debt.
Jonathan Seely, defending, said the matter had deeply affected the family.

He added: “He has very much learned his lesson and his actions have weighed heavily on him.

“He is a family man and a man of good character but he accepts that he does deserve punishment.”

Recorder Ian Baker said the fact he had not pocketed the cash had saved him from a two-year custodial sentence.
“I accept you did not steal the money and you did not receive any training,” he said, “but you were clearly aware of the losses.

“The fact that you previously had a business which went into liquidation should have been a warning when you began to run the post office.”

Benning, who continues to run the retail shop in the post office, was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £4,915 over 12 months.

“Given that your mother was able to pay £27,000 there is likely to be that kind of money available to you,” said Recorder Baker.

[Lounge Lizard]

This sort of thing seems to be getting more common, no doubt partly as Sub Post offices lose pension, road tax and other business, have other payments reduced and find it far more difficult to make a living.