Yeovil mother printed false postage labels to defraud Royal Mail of 10k with online business

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A Yeovil mother who defrauded the Royal Mail of nearly £10,000 while operating an online sales business has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Rachel Clements, 52, of Rowan Way, used false postage labels that looked genuine but were detected by the Royal Mail mechanised service, Taunton Crown Court heard.

She was told that defrauding the postal service company was not a victimless crime and, in effect, she was defrauding the public.

Susan Cavener, prosecuting, said investigators searched her house and found false labels ready to be used. "It was a fairly sophisticated set-up over a period of time. No one else was involved", she added.

Harry Ahuja, defending, said she was buying items at markets and stalls and selling them online. She had a £20,000 debt which had now been paid off.

He said she had a 10-year-old child and three in their early 20s whom she helped out financially from time to time, and she hoped to be able to pay back £10,000 to the Royal Mail.

Judge James Patrick said the starting point for a prison sentence was18 months. She was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years with 180 hours unpaid work and was told she was also liable to pay a surcharge and prosecution costs.

Clements had earlier, on the day of a trial, pleaded guilty to fraud, making false representation that she had paid for a postal service provided by Royal Mail, intending to make a gain for herself and exposing Royal Mail to risk of loss.

A second charge of possessing an article used in fraud was ordered to lie on file and not proceeded with.