Thieving postman trapped ... with a box of chocolates

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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A thieving postman who stole hundreds of parcels was caught out when his bosses set up a sting using a gift voucher and a box of chocolates.

Duncan Armitage, 38, had an unblemished 20-year service record with the Royal Mail.

But for more than a year he plundered post returned undelivered to the depot in Rochdale.

Armitage, of Derwent Drive, Shaw, Oldham, also admitted stealing £1,200 in cash handed over by members of the public to pick up mail on which not enough postage had been paid.

He has now lost his job.

Magistrates in Rochdale were told that Armitage was caught when the sting was set up in an office at the depot.

Suspicions were raised when 10 emptied postal packages were recovered from a waste bin.

Bernadette Hynes, prosecuting for the Royal Mail, said three ‘specially prepared’ packages were placed on a shelf.

They contained two £10 notes, a £10 Marks and Spencer gift voucher and a box of chocolates.

She said: “The defendant took a break. The bin was checked and there was wrapping paper and the outer wrapping of the specially prepared packets. He was approached and agreed to an interview and searches.”

The bank notes and voucher were later recovered from him. Armitage was suspended on February 25 this year. The court heard he made a full admission to his bosses. Ms Hynes said: “He said he had been stealing packets due to go back to the return letter branch for more than a year. He said he kept the contents or gave them away as gifts. He could not say how many but admitted it was in the hundreds.”

Armitage, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft. He was jailed for 12 weeks suspended for 12 months by magistrates who told him he had abused his position of trust. Addressing the court Armitage apologised, saying: “I am truly sorry for everything that has happened.”

He went on to reveal that he had also written to work colleagues to apologise.

The Royal Mail has withheld part of his pension to recover the lost cash. Armitage was also ordered to pay £300 court costs.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Royal Mail has a zero tolerance approach to any dishonesty.”

[Lounge Lizard]

Armitage, of Derwent Drive, Shaw, Oldham, also admitted stealing £1,200 in cash handed over by members of the public to pick up mail on which not enough postage had been paid. How can there be so little accountability over money paid over for surcharged items ?

[DGP1]

Armitage, of Derwent Drive, Shaw, Oldham, also admitted stealing £1,200 in cash handed over by members of the public to pick up mail on which not enough postage had been paid. How can there be so little accountability over money paid over for surcharged items ?

All surcharged items are now accountable, everyone RP sends down to the office has now to be either paid for or returned so that it all balances out (we can't even get items for ourselves if they're 'undercharged').

[resperin]

i dont take the money from my customers if they want to pay the surcharge, but obviouslly if they happy to put stamps on it (the surcharge card) i dont mind taking it back to the office.

[dvbuk55]

Surcharge items were handed to you from the locker at one time and you were supposed to collect it on the doorstep, of course it was nothing like the price now, I think it was 15p - so you go to the door with a surcharge item, they accept the charge and return with a £5 note - wtf - you of course haven't got change and so you give them the item - at first I used to pay for them myself, then I thought feck this I went to the manager and said if he wanted me to collect the money then they had to give me a £5 float in change - they didn't and I didn't collect it again.

I once complained to the IB about money missing from the tin in the callers office, he said they would institute a more rigorous acounting procedure, which they have, though it took about 5 years.

[Lounge Lizard]

Surcharge items were handed to you from the locker at one time and you were supposed to collect it on the doorstep, of course it was nothing like the price now, I think it was 15p - so you go to the door with a surcharge item, they accept the charge and return with a £5 note - wtf - you of course haven't got change and so you give them the item - at first I used to pay for them myself, then I thought feck this I went to the manager and said if he wanted me to collect the money then they had to give me a £5 float in change - they didn't and I didn't collect it again.

I once complained to the IB about money missing from the tin in the callers office, he said they would institute a more rigorous acounting procedure, which they have, though it took about 5 years.

" I think it was 15p " - No, it was double the deficiency, so all those that are £1.10 now ( £1 + 51p - 41p ) would have been 20p and letters without a stamp would be 64p not £1.32

[Haitch P]

Couldn't they use the system of dealing with underpaid overseas letters for domestic letters?

i.e. Send the letter back to the return address with a sticker indicating how much extra is needed. (Assuming it has a return address)

[Lounge Lizard]

Couldn't they use the system of dealing with underpaid overseas letters for domestic letters?

i.e. Send the letter back to the return address with a sticker indicating how much extra is needed. (Assuming it has a return address)

Or like in some other contries, just destroy them.