Britain's meanest postie (Well Actually Not a Postie)

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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ROYAL Mail sorting office manager David Baker has been named "Britain's meanest postman" after he was found guilty of theft for opening envelopes to steal money from children's greetings cards.

It is thought he may have used the money to help fund a good lifestyle which included owning two houses – one with the mortgage paid off – and two new cars for him and his wife. Plymouth Crown Court heard that the thefts had gone on for some time before he was caught.

Baker, 47, of Rocky Park Road, Plymstock, targeted colourful envelopes he thought would contain money being sent in greeting cards – including gifts to children – then throwing the cards in the bin.

He worked for Royal Mail for 23 years, as a postman and a manager, but was caught stealing after officials became suspicious when large amounts of mail appeared to have been tampered with at Plymouth Mail Centre in Plymstock.

Senior managers sent in an undercover investigator and attention quickly turned to Baker when he was spotted on CCTV making suspicious movements with his hands out of sight of the camera. Kelly Scrivener, prosecuting, said: "Over his career a huge amount of mail would have passed through his hands.

"He was able to instantly recognise bank statements, cheque books and greetings cards, simply by looking at the envelope. This crime was brazen, deliberate and arrogant."

The thefts from cards and other mail destined for homes across Devon and Cornwall, has appalled residents in the region.

Carol Makin, 35, a mother- of-two from Plymouth, said: "He has been stealing from children. How could he? He is Britain's meanest postman."

Baker had denied two counts of interfering with postal packets, and five counts of theft totalling £77. But yesterday, a jury at Plymouth Crown Court unanimously found him guilty of both interference charges and three of the five theft charges.

They had watched dramatic CCTV footage of Baker sifting through post, selecting coloured envelopes containing greetings cards, surreptitiously opening them and pocketing money.

Senior investigator Sarah Potterton told the court that for three years, large amounts of post had arrived damaged at local sorting offices.

Suspicion fell on the Plymouth Mail Centre, which sorts post for PL and TR postcodes, and an investigation was launched.

Redundant signs which obscured the view of security cameras were secretly removed to give a clear line of sight. And on October 2 last year, the actions of Baker aroused suspicion.

The following night, a Royal Mail investigation team tracked him, filming his activities.

Baker was confronted, searched and found to have five bank-notes totalling £75 crumpled into his right-hand trouser pocket, together with a £2 coin.

In his back pocket was his wallet containing £9 in change and a neatly-folded £5 note.

Baker had denied the charges and when he was caught with the money in his pockets he claimed it was his and that his wallet was too small to carry cash.

The court was told that Baker and his wife, who had not inherited any money, had paid off their mortgage, bought a buy-to-let property and each bought a new car in the past year. He refused to give Royal Mail investigators access to his bank account. The court earlier heard that Baker was of good character and had not been in trouble before. He said he had just finished paying off his mortgage with endowment policies that had matured.

Baker will be sentenced in three weeks following the preparation of a report, but the judge, Recorder Martin Meeke QC, asked Mrs Potterton whether Royal Mail would consider a Proceeds Of Crime Act application. This would allow a full investigation into Baker's financial affairs to see how he spent the money and could lead to confiscation of assets. Mrs Potterton said the number of letters tampered with on the day of Baker's arrest – 22 – was fairly typical at the time.

Recorder Meeke granted Baker unconditional bail but warned him to expect a jail sentence. He said because Baker had refused to let investigators see his bank statements he may have been using it to fund his lifestyle, adding: "I would say his means versus expenditure appears to be questionable."

[onthestella]

4 Years Minimum your Honour

[baldrick]

Another misleading headline. He wasn't a postie, he was a Manager.
I wonder how many people in Plymouth are blaming posties for missing money/gifts because of him.

[norbert]

Another misleading headline. He wasn't a postie, he was a Manager.
I wonder how many people in Plymouth are blaming posties for missing money/gifts because of him.

and precisely who encourages all this greed ? :lfo :cfo

[clashcityrocker]

I do not believe for one minute you could steal enough to buy a house and two cars.
And as for being able to "instantly recognise cheque books and greeting cards", you would probably need less than 5 minutes experience to do that.

[Post Off]

Another misleading headline. He wasn't a postie, he was a Manager.
I wonder how many people in Plymouth are blaming posties for missing money/gifts because of him.

Not only is that title misleading, but one wonders if this Carol Makin was also fed this misleading info deliberately in order for her to clearly state that he must indeed be Britain's meanest postmen. It seems to me that these media peeps are more interested in stoking up any attention that will keep their newspaper -- online or otherwise -- in their readers minds. I mean, realistically, who's gonna now remember that it was a manager who was caught steeling and not Britain's meanest postman, ffs!

[dvbuk55]

All I can say is if he had two houses and two new cars the people sending birthday money must have been loaded

[k979aaa]

Make you all wonder how many posties paid for his miss deeds before he was found out?.

[norbert]

Make you all wonder how many posties paid for his miss deeds before he was found out?.

Very true - usually RM promote the tea leaves - The " magic carpet sweeper "

[BELIAL]

They do the shake and vac and put the manager back. When your targets met your bonus is too, do the shake and vac and you are out of the poo

[k979aaa]

Make you all wonder how many posties paid for his miss deeds before he was found out?.

Very true - usually RM promote the tea leaves - The " magic carpet sweeper "

As the saying goes SH!T always rises too the top the gold is always at the bottom!.