Thieving Postie spared jail

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Postman who took parcels home instead of delivering them is spared jail

A postman who took parcels home instead of delivering them to Royal Mail customers has today been spared jail.

Karl Fantarrow was caught when investigators raided his home and found a number of missing mail packets, two of which had been opened.

"You must understand, interfering with the mail is a serious offence, sufficiently serious to attract a custodial sentence, particularly given the breach of trust involved."
Judge Paul Sloan QC

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 41-year-old was in the grip of mental illness at the time of the investigation in December 2012 and has barely left the house since.

Fantarrow, who suffers from agoraphobia and a panic disorder, appeared at the sentence hearing via videolink to his home, where he was accompanied by his barrister.

Prosecutor Vince Ward told the court Fantarrow had been a trusted postal worker for more than four years before he came under suspicion when packets for the Washington area were reported missing.

Mr Ward said: “His house was searched on December 3, 2012, by officers of the Royal Mail and during that search they found a large number of items which had been taken by the defendant from his postal bag during the course of his employment in the weeks leading up to the search.”

The court heard two parcels had been opened by Fantarrow, who had resealed one of them.

Mr Ward added: “He said he had intended to return those packages into the post because he felt guilty about opening them.”

Judge Paul Sloan QC sentenced Fantarrow to four months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

He said: “It would appear that your mental health problems grossly effected your ability to fulfil your responsibility as a Royal Mail employee and as a result of those difficulties you started taking packets home which you should have delivered.

“You must understand, interfering with the mail is a serious offence, sufficiently serious to attract a custodial sentence, particularly given the breach of trust involved.”

The judge said the inevitable sentence could be suspended due to Fantarrow’s guilty plea and mental health problems.

Jamie Adams, defending, said: “This is a highly unusual case.

“This man has been housebound for the best part of two years now, with very few attempts even to go outside, because he has been too frightened to go outside.”

Mr Adams said Fantarrow feels a great sense of shame for what he did, and is receiving help to address his problems.

Fantarrow, formerly of Donvale Road, Donwell, Washington, has since moved home to be cared for by his mother. He admitted interfering with the mail.