'Lazy' postman dumped letters in bin, Leicester Court told

[POSTMAN]

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A postman who dumped mail in the bin instead of delivering it was also caught with 1,904 postal items in his car, a court heard.

Asif Esmail Patel, who was jailed for 12 months yesterday, was said to have shirked his duties due to laziness and partly through ill health.

The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to theft of 246 Royal Mail postal items between October 31 and January 10.

Patel also admitted delaying 1,658 other items during the course of transmission by post between January 7 and 12.
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Leicester Crown Court was told the father of one, of Stoughton Drive North, in Stoneygate, in Leicester, was based at the Wigston delivery office.

John Dove, prosecuting for the Royal Mail, said that as a result of complaints about missing mail on Patel's round, 12 test packages were sent through the post. Only six reached their destinations.

Investigators found a hoard of unopened, undelivered letters in his car, consisting of 659 personal items of post, including 47 greeting cards.

In a footwell were a further 240 items of personal mail, including the six test packets.

The Royal Mail then delivered the items, with apology letters.

When questioned, Patel blamed his "laziness" and said on three or four occasions he had simply dumped post unopened in the bin.

He said: "I never opened it. I know what I did was wrong, but I don't steal."

Mr Dove said: "What he did undermines the integrity and confidence in the postal services and suspicion is also brought to bear on innocent employees."

Jacqui Callam, in mitigation, said: "He'd not been working on deliveries for very long.

"Prior to this, he'd had a car accident resulting in him being off work for eight weeks.

"He'd been seeing the Royal Mail physiotherapist and was told he should be on half duties.

"It was his laziness coupled with issues relating to his health.

"He accepts responsibility for what he's done and knows it's a severe breach of trust."

Sentencing, Judge Michael Fowler said: "Every postman understands how sacrosanct the material they are handling is.

"I don't think he's being frank, having regard to the pre-sentence report, about his true activities.

"Personal communications have value."

[POSTMAN]

He'd been seeing the Royal Mail physiotherapist and was told he should be on half duties.

Should have or was?

[clashcityrocker]

Jailed for 12 months?
That seems very harsh.

[Postman Plodd]

Papsmear who couldnt tell the truth if his life depended on it given 6 months free board and lodgings at HM pleasure

John Dove, prosecuting for the Royal Mail, said that as a result of complaints about missing mail on Patel's round, 12 test packages were sent through the post. Only six reached their destinations which is above average for Royal Mail and thus sparked suspicion.

In a footwell were a further 240 items of personal mail, including the six test packets.

he'd had a car accident resulting in him being off work for eight weeks

I cant help but feel that these 2 previous comments are linked somehow.

When questioned, Patel blamed his "laziness" and said on three or four occasions he had simply dumped in the bin.

rather than walk 20 feet to the bog.

He said: "I never opened it. I know what I did was wrong, but I don't steal. I just borrow stuff indefinitely without peoples permission"

[andy2007]

Jailed for 12 months?
That seems very harsh.

You're right there! How many times have we seen people being prosecuted for stealing from the Mail, and getting off with much lighter sentences. And when we get one who's just too lazy to do the job, rather than stealing to pay gambling, or other debts. He get's treated more harshly than they were!

Now, I'm not tying to defend what he did. Far from it! He needed to be punnished by the Courts. But the punnishment should fit the crime, and this time, I don't think it did.

If the Courts think that someone like him, should do 1 year behind bars (probably more like 6-8 months with good behaviour). Then why aren't they sentencing the thiefs (IMHO a far worse crime!) to 2 or 3 times that, consistantly. And in the worst cases, being even harsher?

[Lounge Lizard]

Jailed for 12 months?
That seems very harsh.

Either this is harsh or isn't it the case that every other recent conviction has been too lenient ?
But when burglaries and the like regularly don't result in a custodial sentance what can you expect ?
'Asif Esmail Patel was jailed for 12 months yesterday', and there is of course absolutely no truth in the rumour that Judge Michael Fowler of Leicester Crown Court is an active BNP member