Post girl guilty

[johnnyp]

Postal worker Angela MacDonald , from Hemel Hempstead, could face jail for stealing, damaging and delaying post at the town's delivery office.


At Watford Magistrates Court yesterday, the 29-year-old pleaded guilty to five charges and will be sentenced at Hemel Hempstead Magistrates on March 27.

She admitted to stealing a parcel of fish hooks, recorded delivery post, six postal packets, damaging 111 postal items and intentionally delaying the delivery of 154 items of post.

Magistrate Mrs Bolton-Smith told the mum of two: "We consider these offences so serious you may go to prison."

Prosecutor James Sinclair revealed how Royal Mail caught MacDonald in the act after noticing a significant reduction in failed deliveries during her absence.

The company set up a test planting post she would deal with and tracing its progress.

Only two out of three parcels were delivered and some fish hooks, which were placed inside the missing package, were traced to eBay where they were sold for £4 through MacDonald's husband's account.

Whenpolice arrested her and searched her home in Claymore, Grovehill, they found it littered with packages and damaged post including vouchers, 110 parcels and 154 intact packages and important correspondences, not belonging to her.

MacDonald, who had worked for Royal Mail for 10 years, blamed post natal depression and difficult working hours .

In her defence Simon Lesson explained how she struggled to cope after her employer would not let her change her working hours so when post piled up she just took it home.

He said: "This is not a case where the court should simply be looking at punishing her. She needs help and support."

[billyb8]

Call me old fashioned. When are these kids going to learn to speak to their mates if it gets too much.

[not me]

to be honest when your ebaying the mail it kind of deminishes the it was getting too much defence IMO