Letters dumped by depressed postie

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/H ... z2UrwGztTo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A depressed postman who was unable to cope ended up dumping hundreds of undelivered letters in a skip, a court heard.

Daniel Robert Sharpe (36) began hoarding mail at home and in his car until he ran out of places to store it.

More than 3,300 items, including 259 unopened greetings cards, Cheque books and bank cards, were never delivered.

However, half of the undelivered items were commercial fliers.

Sharpe, of Belvoir Road, Coalville, admitted intentionally delaying postal packages, destroying mail and attempting to destroy it.

He was given a 12-month community order, with supervision, and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.

He will also have to pay £219 compensation to cover the cost of delivering the recovered post and £300 towards prosecution costs.

Sentencing at Leicester Crown Court, Judge Lynn Tayton QC said: "There's no suggestion you became involved in these offences for the purpose of unlawful gain and you weren't acting dishonestly.

"The background is one of illness and depression because of various factors in your life.

"You didn't go to your manager for help because you were scared of being sacked.

"Postmen are in a position of trust and the public expect when they put something in the post box it will get to the place they're sending it to.

"It undermines confidence in the post office when postal workers don't fulfil their duties.

"It would be of no value to the public or to you to send you to prison. It's better you retain the job you now have and to continue with treatment to assist you in your depression and to support your wife."

John Dove, prosecuting for the Royal Mail, said Sharpe commenced working as a postman – in the Sileby district office, in Loughborough – in July.

He was failing to deliver post within a few weeks.

His deliveries, at various times, covered the areas of Barrow, Mountsorrel, Ratby, Groby, Coalville and Markfield.

The matter came to light in December, when staff at a council waste site in Coalville found about 800 postal items dumped in a skip, due for delivery between August and December.

A small amount of other mail items had been shredded. None had been opened by him.

The deliveries were traced back to the defendant who agreed to his car being searched, when more than 400 items were recovered due for delivery between December 13 and 19.

He told investigators: "There's more in the shed at home."

They found 1,042 postal items with a further 606 in the bin.

Carl Gaskell, mitigating, said: "Things got on top of him and he couldn't cope."

He said Sharpe's depression was exacerbated by two miscarriages suffered by his wife.

He said: "It's a pity he didn't see his manager because he would no doubt have been given counselling or help."

He said, since April, Sharpe was "back on track" with a new, less stressful and more manageable job.

[crammypostie1]

what was he thinking, around 3300 items equates to what? say 600 houses on delivery, average of 2 letters per house, its 2 and a half days mail, surely he could of delivered that the useless get

[TrueBlueTerrier]

He said: "It's a pity he didn't see his manager because he would no doubt have been given counselling or help."

which is

[houseoflords]

He will also have to pay £219 compensation to cover the cost of delivering the recovered post and £300 towards prosecution costs? Where's the £219 come from? It will probably be done on absorbtion anyway.

[UnhappyGremlin]

He said: "It's a pity he didn't see his manager because he would no doubt have been given counselling or help."

which is

The only help he would have got would be being told to finish it for free.

[spoodoo]

This is happening more and more now, if you cannot cope with the stress and harassment and don't know who to turn to . The rm does not seem to care about you're health and well being

[NWpostie]

I agree it seemed to be increasing some of it is greed, but most of it seemed be a case being overwhelmed and the management doing nothing about it. When privatisation comes in with workers devalued and paid peanuts, it will get worse.

[R@YAL F@IL]

When was the last time you heard a postie say I was down in the dumps with depression then A Royal Mail manager came to my aid and turned my life round and now I am fully recovered thanks to my boss

[spoodoo]

They have certain obligations regarding you're health and well being at work

[UnhappyGremlin]

They have certain obligations regarding you're health and well being at work

Which they continually ignore.

[grabbertom]

work your hours and cut off. not your problem its managers problem. they are lazy cnuts and have plenty of time do it them selves. in our office we have approx 40 deliveries and 4 managers in the morning and they tell us we need to cut hours.