Royal Mail manager stole £8000 from packages

[johnnyp]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ne ... _packages/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

East Lancashire Royal Mail manager stole £8000 from packages
8:30am Monday 17th August 2009

By Andrew Bellard »


A ROYAL Mail manager stole cash from special delivery packages after running up personal debts of more than £23,000.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Paul Raymond Moss tried to cover his tracks by reporting some of the missing packages himself.

But investigators using covert cameras were eventually able to catch Moss in the act of emptying packages at the Clitheroe delivery office.

Moss, 33, of New Wellington Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to eight charges of theft and asked for one to be taken into consideration.

He was sentenced to 40 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 180 hours unpaid work.

His conviction comes after months of investigations by the Royal Mail’s own detectives.

Moss, a dad-of-four, was suspended in March and investigations also took place at the Canterbury Street depot in Blackburn as well as at Clitheroe.

The court heard that cash sums of £2,000, £421 and £1,000 were among those stolen.

The court was told that in one package contained 2,000 Australian dollars, 2,000 Egyptian pounds and 15,000 South African Rand and another contained 1,000 American dollars. In total more than £8,000 was stolen.

Yesterday Moss refused to speak about the court case but his defence team at court said that he had started to fall into financial difficulties after going into negative equity following a house purchase.

Kevin Preston, prosecuting, said Moss admitted the offences when interviewed by investigators.

He said: “Moss said he was using the money to put towards his debts but he also admitted spending on presents and using £500 for a deposit on a new car.”

Michael Blacklidge, defending, said Moss had always been a hard working individual who had paid his way. He said his client fell into the negative equity trap after buying a house when prices were at their highest.

Mr Blacklidge said: “He may have been able to cope with that but not when his wife was unable to work.

“Suddenly they didn’t have enough to cover what was going out and debts built up.

"Because of that downward spiral he succumbed to temptation.

“Despite the difficulties he and his wife are very strong in their relationship,” said Mr Blacklidge.

“He has let his wife and his family down and he has no intention of doing that again.”

A spokesman for the company said: “Royal Mail has a zero tolerance approach to any dishonesty and that stance is shared by the overwhelming majority of employees, who are honest and hardworking and who do all they can to protect the mail and deliver it safely.

“We will always seek to prosecute the tiny minority of people who abuse their position of trust.”

[norbert]

looks a bit dodgy in that Bench hooded sweatshirt and hair gel - he's very lucky he won't have to wear something far less trendy for 10 months as a guest of Her Majesty

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/homen ... ticle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A ROYAL Mail delivery manager with a £40,000 personal debt has been given a suspended sentence for stealing from work.

David Cotton, 41, who managed Beeston delivery office, was charged after undelivered packages were found in his car.

Nottingham Crown Court heard staff raised concerns when mail went missing last July.

Cotton, who was seen acting suspiciously around packets, initially denied stealing.

He later admitted theft of 14 packets from Royal Mail when the case got to court.

Judge Jonathan Teare told Cotton, of Shardlow Road, Aston-on-Trent, Derbyshire, to complete 210 hours of unpaid work in the community during the next 12 months. He will also be subject to a 48-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

"You are now aged 41. I treat you as a man of good character," the judge said.

"It appears you have suffered from debilitating depression, which has led to your demotion in the Royal Mail and may have led to you taking packages.

"The reason I take this course is because I am satisfied there were exceptional circumstances in you committing these offences, and furthermore your plea of guilty."

Gregor Purcell, mitigating, said his client was at the point of bankruptcy and in £40,000 of debt.

"What is best for this defendant is that he gets back into paid employment."

After the case, a Royal Mail spokesman said: "Royal Mail has a zero tolerance approach to any dishonesty and that stance is shared by the overwhelming majority of our employees, who are honest and hardworking and who do all they can to protect the mail and deliver it safely. We will always seek to prosecute the tiny minority of people who abuse their position of trust."

[TrueBlueTerrier]

2 of them reported in the press on the same day ------

[DGP1]

I've said this before but I'll say it again - How many posties have been under suspicion because of the actions of a manager?

[Pat Ostman]

I've said this before but I'll say it again - How many posties have been under suspicion because of the actions of a manager?

Yup, Posties are always the first to blame

[norbert]

I've said this before but I'll say it again - How many posties have been under suspicion because of the actions of a manager?

very true - I've seen a " no case to answer " from the IB if a manager came into the locker under a cloud - then " coincidentally " someone ends up in a Crown Court - one manager " suddenly " got promoted as soon as the Police started sniffing round re . a raid on a locker - usual double standards though no dishonesty is to be condoned .

[Wessex]

This man seems to have been very lucky not to be doing a bit of bird. Theft from Royal Mail packets and letters normally carries an automatic jail sentence.

[Lounge Lizard]

This man seems to have been very lucky not to be doing a bit of bird. Theft from Royal Mail packets and letters normally carries an automatic jail sentence.

More often just a Suspended sentence though recently.

[Wessex]

This man seems to have been very lucky not to be doing a bit of bird. Theft from Royal Mail packets and letters normally carries an automatic jail sentence.

More often just a Suspended sentence though recently.

Probably they need the cells for more serious criminals.A job for Leighton and Crozier perhaps after the fine work they've done at Royal Mail, sorting out the Prison Service. :cfo :lfo

[norbert]

This man seems to have been very lucky not to be doing a bit of bird. Theft from Royal Mail packets and letters normally carries an automatic jail sentence.

More often just a Suspended sentence though recently.

Probably they need the cells for more serious criminals.A job for Leighton and Crozier perhaps after the fine work they've done at Royal Mail, sorting out the Prison Service. :cfo :lfo

they'd privatize it and look after number one of course - you've heard of people escaping with Group 4 etc - well it'll get a lot worse . The Prison Officer's Association can't go on strike but there would be a lot of officers going sick on the same day .

[stokes11eg]

Still surprised at how much money people put into packages--the P.O do a money gram service-and although you may have to pay a charge, it's well worth it, and mostly folks can get the money the same day.
But it does make you wonder how many Managers are at it--and they SHOULD be jailed.

[mailsort6]

Managers never seem to get custodial sentences, I am not surprised this is happening because some of the managers RM employ think that their better than anyone else because they have made the grade they think that they have acquired some sort of high status but the reality is that their salaries is not that great for the amount of s*** they have to take.

[norbert]

Managers never seem to get custodial sentences, I am not surprised this is happening because some of the managers RM employ think that their better than anyone else because they have made the grade they think that they have acquired some sort of high status but the reality is that their salaries is not that great for the amount of s*** they have to take.

It's a sort of arrogance but that's their problem , they think the might of RM / the system will protect them , when it doesn't you end up with somebody with a almighty chip on the shoulder and a grudge & that's why most firms are ( never mind RM ) are frightened to lean too hard on their managers as a court case can do a lot of damage to corporate image .

A lot of them are living in the past as RM is all they've known since being cadets -Once RM could get away with murder and hide behind the official secrets act , it's a different 24/7 media these days , a court report from " The Middle of Nowhere Gazette " is found by the Google Spiders .

At one time there was some "good will" , sometimes neither sides used to kiss and tell , but that's long gone too .

Also you're dealing with a different corporate mindset with these number crunchers and bean counters .

[norbert]

Why were they not locked up for YEARS! This is a bloody way to treat crooks.

The interesting bit was the DOMWIT got demoted - to what ? , lino ? ex PHG duties in the locker ? , I've known good managers being threatened with being put back in uniform as their " hearts were not in the job " , to be fair it shows nobody is immune - that might have something to do with the judge going easy on him ?

Sounds like he'd a good solicitor