http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... er-7245610" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
Wayne Bradburn
A thieving postman has been warned by a judge that he is facing prison.
Wayne Bradburn, 32, gave a 'no comment' interview after packets of greeting cards that had contained cash were found in his home in February.
But in a probation report he confessed to further thefts that postal investigators knew nothing about, prosecutor Richard Black told Manchester magistrates court.
Bradburn, a postie for 14 years, pleaded guilty to five counts of theft and will be sentenced later at crown court.
Investigators trapped Bradburn, of Cranford Avenue, Burnage , following complaints that greeting cards were not reaching their destinations in the Levenshulme area.
A 'specially prepared' £10 gift card was put in a bag to be sorted by the defendant on February 12.
Eight days later, a person linked to Bradburn's family was captured on CCTV using the card in Debenhams to buy clothing, the court heard.
In March, further 'test' letters ended up in Bradburn’s possession.
On being challenged, he refused to be searched and was put in a Royal Mail van.
Six packs of greeting cards were later discovered stuffed under one of the seats.
When his house was searched, a Kindle and 10 Love Film DVDs stolen between 2006 and 2008 were seized.
In two rubbish bags, there were 15 greeting cards, none of which were addressed to the defendant, said Mr Black.
He told the court that one of the DVDs had been addressed to a woman in Levenshulme.
Of the 15 cards found in the rubbish bags, seven had been ripped up and included signed cheques which Bradburn could not cash.
Mr Black said: “While being interviewed by a probation officer preparing a report for the court, he was candid enough to confess to a number of thefts other than the charges reflected.
“But the matters are only those before the court. Nobody else in his family is involved in this investigation and he is solely responsible for what has happened.”
District Judge Mark Hadfield told Bradburn: “Theft by postmen is viewed extremely seriously and they can expect to receive a jail sentence beyond my powers.
"This was a betrayal of trust and has an effect on the public when mail doesn’t arrive.”
Gared McNally, defending, said Bradburn, who entered the dock in tears, had developed a gambling habit involving scratch cards.