Kingstanding postman stashed mail in his house for 3 YEARS

[POSTMAN]

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A postman who stashed birthday cards, theatre tickets and hospital appointments behind his sofa is facing jail after being convicted of delaying mail deliveries by up to THREE YEARS.

Craig Congrave, 28, tried to convince magistrates that 56 letters discovered at his home must have been taken from his bag by a drug-addicted ex-girlfriend or a housemate.

Some of the packages had been hidden for nearly three years and were found opened by police who were investigating the postman on suspicion of drug offences.

During his trial it was heard Congrave, of Tottenham Crescent, Kingstanding, had moved house over the period he had held the letters and must have taken them with him when he changed address.

Birmingham magistrates found him guilty of one offence of delaying the delivery of a postal packet or mailbag.

John Dove, prosecuting, said: “On January 21 he was arrested on an unrelated matter. During a search of his house police found two red Royal Mail delivery pouches.

“They contained 56 undelivered packets which included hospital appointments, wage slips, theatre tickets and greeting cards.

“He says he must have brought them into his house on a break and forgot them. He said his ex-partner must have opened them.

“He knew they were there, he knew he had a duty to deliver them and he failed to do so.”

Congrave had been a postman since 2006 and worked out of the Great Barr delivery office, but was dismissed when his offence came to light.

Giving evidence, the postie said he would take mail bags into his house during his route if he needed to take a break or use the toilet.

He said: “You’re not allowed to leave mail in the car on show so I took it into my house. I never saw anybody remove items from the pouch. I never noticed mail was missing, there could be 1,000 letters in a pouch at any one time.

“When I’ve gone home I’ve taken the pouch with me to safeguard it. I had no intention to undeliver or delay them.”

But magistrates rejected his account. On conviction he was told by the bench: “We simply do not find this explanation credible or convincing. You must have known they were in your possession and you were delaying their delivery.”

Magistrates adjourned the case for sentence to November 19.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Kingstanding postman who stashed mail for THREE YEARS escapes jail

Shamed Craig Congrave was told he had 'betrayed' the public's trust in him

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A crooked postman who stashed birthday cards, theatre tickets and hospital appointments behind his sofa has been told he “betrayed the public’s trust”.

Craig Congrave avoided an immediate jail sentence after being convicted of delaying mail deliveries by up to THREE YEARS.

Police officers who raided the 28-year-old’s home on suspicion of drug offences found 56 letters behind his sofa which he had failed to deliver.

Congrave, of Tottenham Crescent, Kingstanding, had tried to convince magistrates that the letters must have been taken from his bag by a drug-addicted ex-girlfriend or a housemate.

Giving evidence at a trial last month, he said he took mail bags into his house during his shift if he needed a break or to use the toilet.

Congrave said: “You’re not allowed to leave mail in the car on show so I took it into my house.

“I never saw anybody remove items from the pouch.

“I never noticed mail was missing, there could be 1,000 letters in a pouch at any one time.”

Congrave was found guilty of one offence of delaying the delivery of a postal packet or mailbag.

At a sentencing hearing today, chairman of the bench, Roger Smith, told Birmingham Magistrates’ Court: “He recognises his action was a deep betrayal of the public’s trust, who had entrusted him to deliver mail.”

Congrave was handed a six-month suspended sentence, ordered to pay £1,000 costs and perform 100 hours unpaid work.

A postman since 2006, he worked out of the Great Barr delivery office but was sacked when bosses heard of his offence.

The court heard only 14 items had been opened.

Kerendeep Garcha, defending, said: “All the other items remained unopened.

“That is a suggestion the defendant did not delay the items with the intent to steal anything from them.

“The defendant had a clean employment record and there were no prior issues with his employment at Royal Mail.”

[Darren Bent]

Imagine how much space do you need to store all of them.