RM Manager Jailed for plundering £16K of Special Deliveries

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Trusted post office manager jailed after plundering nearly £16K of special delivery packages

A TRUSTED post office manager who plundered nearly £16,000 worth of special delivery packages was jailed.

Darren Redgrift, 42, had worked for the Royal Mail for nearly 20 years and had been promoted to "cluster manager", supervising several delivery offices.

But Liverpool Crown Court heard that for about eight months, Redgrift was abusing his privileged position to steal valuable special delivery packages kept in locked areas at the offices he supervised.

John Gibson, prosecuting, told how on one occasion Redgrift even took parcels when he was supposed to be off sick. He told the court that the items Redgrift admitted stealing were worth nearly £16,000.

But over the life of Redgrift’s scam the Royal Mail had to pay out about £24,000 in compensation from the units he was responsible for.

Jailing him for two years, Judge David Aubrey QC said: "The public places great confidence in the honesty and integrity of those who work within the postal system." He added: "The public entrust items of value, they may be of monetary value or they may be of sentimental value, that they wish to have conveyed to others. The consequences of items being stolen within the postal system is obvious. It causes anxiety, apprehension, concern."

Mr Gibson told how Redgrift’s crimes were exposed after bosses were alerted to the missing packages and set up a secret camera at their Wavertree office on March 6, last year. After Redgrift’s arrest they raided his two homes, on Otterton Road, Croxteth, and Knowsley Road, Southport, and discovered the remnants of nine packages.

Mr Gibson told how three of the packages were from a Kirkby jewellers and were worth £14,600. Inside Redgrift’s home, tickets for a pawn shop were discovered and two rings and a bracelet were later recovered.

Redgrift initially denied the offences, claiming he had been set up. But he later admitted three charge of theft, totalling 12 packages.

Peter Killen, defending, told how Redgrift’s life had been in turmoil at the time of his crimes. He said: "Most significantly his son had fallen into some form of involvement in the gang conflict that exists between the Norris Green and Croxteth areas of the city. As a result his home, the home where he lived with his now estranged wife, was subjected to numerous attacks.

"Their relationship broke down. He was experiencing severe financial difficulties."

Mr Killen told how during this time, Redgrift, who has no previous convictions, had been off work for 46 days straight with depression, but had been given warning and threatened with dismissal by Royal Mail.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "Royal Mail has a zero tolerance approach to any dishonesty and that stance is shared by the overwhelming majority of postmen and women, who are honest and hardworking and who do all they can to protect the mail and deliver it safely.

"We will always seek to prosecute the tiny minority of people who abuse their position of trust."

"Royal Mail customers should be confident in our services and systems, but where we are alerted to problems, either through our own stringent checks or from information supplied by our customers, we take decisive action to investigate.

"We constantly review our operation to ensure it's as robust as possible and customer’s mail is secure."

[Dushku2309]

Oh yes..this was in our office :) Goodbye Darren..toodle-oohhh enjoy Walton nick :)

[Judgee]

They raided his TWO HOMES??? Well clearly the manager cull coming soon is gonna save RM a fortune in wage cuts, they can afford two homes... I can't even afford one!

[Thunderthighs]

My old man ordered a mobile phone, being a disable pensioner, and it was "delivered" by Courier.
It was for use in emergencies etc.
I say "delivered" but when he opened the sealed packet, it was empty.
What is it with these scumbags that they have to pinch, steal and pilfer hard working peoples private property?!

I'd suggest bring back hanging, but I feel hung-drawn and quartering would be a more fitting punishment...

[Charlie456]

To be honest, no one here has any right to say anything about darren, the fact that you all have resorted to this website is enough. He has family and friends who love him, and everyone makes mistakes.

[fishtank]

To be honest, no one here has any right to say anything about darren, the fact that you all have resorted to this website is enough. He has family and friends who love him, and everyone makes mistakes.

I assume that you are talking about Darren Redgrift and have posted in the wrong thread.
To be honest everyone who is caught stealing in Royal Mail is afforded the same treatment on this website,manager or not because unfortunately when something like this is reported in the media we are all tarred with the same brush.
Darren was caught stealing and part of the punishment and hopefully deterrent for stealing is the shame and humiliation...and public comment that goes with it.
In this day and age that can be very public.
I do however feel for his family and friends who have done no wrong.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

To be honest, no one here has any right to say anything about darren, the fact that you all have resorted to this website is enough. He has family and friends who love him, and everyone makes mistakes.

One thing as a Moderator please try to post in the right topic - you posted in a thread from 2007

As a member - everyone has the right to comment on the article and thats what 3 people have done, no one has commented on the charcter of Darren . But he has been found guilty of a crime which MUST have thrown suspicision on honest hard working posties and other managers, so IMHO that gives us the right to comment on the story if not the man himself.

I do feel for his family though and he should consider himself extremely lucky to have family and friends that are so loyal as to support him.

[POSTMAN]

I presume teebs has merged the posts for anyone confused.

Back on topic £16k worth of mistakes eh?

[meercat]

I've no connection with this guy, don't know him and work nowhere near the office involved but you have to admit EVERY thief has family and friends. So what makes this one so sacred that we can't point to him and shout 'THIEF'???

He's NOT made a mistake. What a complete JOKE of a comment that is. He's been caught repeatedly lining his own pockets with other peoples jewelry. How can that be a mistake?! What a cheek coming on here trying to make excuses for his thievery! You must be the FIRST person to EVER come on here trying to make excuses for a RM worker stealing and we see plenty reported here.

To me he sounds like a typical dirty little thief, abusing his position of trust and when caught not standing up like a man to accept his own failings. Prison might sort him out and is the best place for his sort.

[DGP1]

I presume teebs has merged the posts for anyone confused.

Back on topic £16k worth of mistakes eh?

[POSTMAN]

There is a page 2 of the story...

Peter Killen, defending, told how Redgrift’s life had been in turmoil at the time of his crimes. He said: "Most significantly his son had fallen into some form of involvement in the gang conflict that exists between the Norris Green and Croxteth areas of the city. As a result his home, the home where he lived with his now estranged wife, was subjected to numerous attacks.

"Their relationship broke down. He was experiencing severe financial difficulties."

Mr Killen told how during this time, Redgrift, who has no previous convictions, had been off work for 46 days straight with depression, but had been given warning and threatened with dismissal by Royal Mail.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "Royal Mail has a zero tolerance approach to any dishonesty and that stance is shared by the overwhelming majority of postmen and women, who are honest and hardworking and who do all they can to protect the mail and deliver it safely.

"We will always seek to prosecute the tiny minority of people who abuse their position of trust."

"Royal Mail customers should be confident in our services and systems, but where we are alerted to problems, either through our own stringent checks or from information supplied by our customers, we take decisive action to investigate.

"We constantly review our operation to ensure it's as robust as possible and customer’s mail is secure."

[rhino49]

To be honest, no one here has any right to say anything about darren, the fact that you all have resorted to this website is enough. He has family and friends who love him, and everyone makes mistakes.

We all have family and friends too Charlie 456, and they love us because we work hard and honestly - not because we supplement an already generous salary with items stolen from the general public as he did.

When things like this happen, the accusing finger is usually pointed at the guy with the mailbag fighting his way through adverse weather and obstacles on the grounds that "he is the most likely culprit". Your friend Darren obviously thought this would to some degree protect him. I have news for him which is probably arriving a bit late....EVERYONE WHO STEALS GETS CAUGHT !!!! ... that is why 99.9% of us don't even consider trying it. From the description of events in the news , it would seem that he made several "mistakes" as you call them ... now that to me shows that he is a slow learner, maybe he will have enough leisure time now to rectify that.

Every one of us that do the trusted job of working for Royal Mail has a right to comment on and criticise people who endanger our livelihood and damage our reputation at whatever level they might be employed and this website is evidence of that.

Sorry if you don't like the comments Charlie456, but the above is an honest and polite opinion that I think will be shared by many of my colleagues.

[dvbuk55]

In stark contrast to the £16k this bloke nicked, there was an ex MEP charged with expenses offences and was ordered to repay £330k and he actually had the gall to appeal and he doesn't look like he's going to be prosecuted let alone jailed.

[Post Off]

To be honest, no one here has any right to say anything about darren, the fact that you all have resorted to this website is enough. He has family and friends who love him, and everyone makes mistakes.

Wtf does 'resorted to this website' mean in the context that you are inferring?

Anyway, whatever. I wasn't going to react to this story when I first saw it, mostly because it seems as though the press loves to highlight those who are topically in the spotlight (those managers about to face the axe) with a follow up of more bad news. Personally, I'd like to see a little more of who, what, why and how, rather than the faceless reporting of late about the seemingly handfuls of t*ss*rs who are dragging most good posties work through the mud.

...and everyone makes mistakes. Errr, come on, ffs! Are you saying all these deliberate actions were the mistake of being caught? Yeah, of course are, you fugging moron.

You know, quite a few years ago, we had a manager that worked both at our place, on and off, and at Battersea, and he too was caught doing something along similar lines. I have no idea if he too was going through the same train wreckage as your dumb friend was (by not exploring help), but I can tell you that the manager I speak of now was a right horrible barsteward towards me, and no doubt others, too. I'm really glad he lost his job, the f***ing c***, and the same goes to your friend, also.

[cockshad]

hello there...i knew this individual on a personal basis some time ago,and apart from the despicable crime he commited found him to be a completely reprihensible,toadlike,and a complete joke in the man management dept....i was glad to hear that he now languishes at her majs pleasure,but not happy having to pay to keep him in PS3 and meals in Walton...ha haha Dazzer got ya!