Royal Mail cleaner stole money to feed gambling addiction

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8 ... addiction/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A CLEANER at the Royal Mail who stole money and gift vouchers from around 1,600 items of post to feed her gambling addiction left children waiting for birthday cards and presents that never came, Bournemouth Magistrates Court heard yesterday.

Former agency cleaner Claire Hayes, of Symes Road, Hamworthy, pleaded guilty to four counts of theft at Ferndown and Wimborne delivery offices, admitting that she would rip up around 20 greeting cards a day, pocketing the contents and stowing the envelopes in rubbish bags to be thrown away.

Royal Mail prosecutor Bob Booker said the theft of more than £600, from mail waiting to be delivered as well as post that hadn’t been sorted yet, came to light last August after £40 went missing from an office cash tin.

Investigating officers, finding 39 opened cards in black sacks in the yard at Wimborne’s East Street office, ordered the council to leave the rubbish at Ferndown’s Queens Street office, where Hayes also worked, so it could be searched too.

They then planted six packets of post in the office as an honesty test. By 11.30am on the morning of Hayes’ shift, the five with cash inside had gone.

A search of Hayes revealed £35.

Mr Booker, who described the crimes as an opportunistic breach of trust said: “There’s no doubt it was deliberate and calculated.

“She knew what she was doing, but got a ‘buzz’ out of using gambling machines.

“The vulnerability of her victims ranges from children waiting for birthday cards and ‘letters to granny’ to help them subsist.”

Hayes, a gambling addict of eight years, has since joined Gamblers’ Anonymous and paid back £470 to the Royal Mail, Tracey Watson said in mitigation.

Ms Watson said: “She fully understands the breach of trust and accepts she could be sent to prison for this. My client is very remorseful for what has happened.” Officers are still ‘tracing’ missing items. The case was adjourned for sentencing until Monday, February 7.

[Lounge Lizard]

"My client is very remorseful for what has happened.” - yes, we hear that every time and some magistrates might be daft enough to believe it.

[Straight4ward]

How come the cleaner gets access to the mail? Where was everyone else in the DO while this was going on?
In early morning group huddles or WTLL sessions?

[DGP1]

How come the cleaner gets access to the mail? Where was everyone else in the DO while this was going on?
In early morning group huddles or WTLL sessions?

Out delivering................just the 'streamed' mail left