Postman jailed after investigators found home was 'Aladdin's Cave' of stolen goods

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Alan Adkin, of Tollerton, had helped himself to people's precious items and flogged them for one third of the price.

As he fought back tears during sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court, a judge told the postman he had betrayed the trust of all of his colleagues up and down the country.

Investigators found Adkin had £4,000 - the proceeds of his illegal sales of the goods - stashed under his bed, and items from parcels in bedrooms, a garage and even the garden shed.

In a bin was an open packet for a USB desk-top aquarium.

Judge James Sampson (above) ordered Adkin, whose crimes have ended his 32-year career, start serving a one-year sentence behind bars.

"This is an extremely sad day in your life. You are 56. You are a man of previous good character. You have now lost that career.

"I accept that you are genuinely remorseful. That you are ashamed of yourself. That you have brought shame on your family. I accept they are supportive, and you will get full credit for your guilty pleas entered at the first opportunity.

"However, this was a systematic, gross breach of trust. You had no financial problems. The only motivation that I can see is greed. You may regret now what you have done. To some extent it is too late. At your home was an Aladdin's Cave of stolen goods and the proceeds from the sale of those stolen goods.

"You had easy access to really sellable items. You took advantage of that and in doing so you betrayed the trust of your employers and the trust of all of the postmen up and down the country. There has to be a deterrent sentence in order to reduce criminal activity amongst postmen."

Adkin, then based at Clifton delivery office, had admitted taking clothing, electrical items and toiletries, worth more than £17,000, and selling some of them on.

He was caught on CCTV putting three postal packets into a vehicle at the Nottingham Mail Centre.

Royal Mail investigators then swooped as he was about to drive through a barrier with the goods.

The team turned their attentions to his mortgage-free home in Stanstead Avenue where the true extent and scale of his crimes were discovered.


Leanne Summers, prosecuting, said Adkin was interviewed and said he had been stealing parcels and keeping the contents for himself or selling them for about ten months.

He previously pleaded guilty to stealing three postal packets from the Royal Mail Group on November 10; stealing an unknown quantity of postal packets worth £12,000 between January 1 and November 15; stealing items worth £5,179 between the same dates; and converting criminal property into £4,000 cash.

Christine Luckock, for Adkin, provided references to the judge from his wife and three adult children.

"He was effectively caught red handed and that is how that investigation started," she said.

She also said he was "utterly ashamed" of himself.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Mr Adkin no longer works for Royal Mail. We have a zero tolerance approach to any dishonesty and that stance is shared by the overwhelming majority of postmen and women.

"It is a criminal offence to tamper with or delay the delivery of mail and anyone caught doing so will face serious disciplinary measures.

"The safety and security of mail is of the utmost importance to this business and Royal Mail will not allow the actions of any individual to damage the good reputation of our thousands of hard-working postmen and women."