Royal Mail manager jailed for stealing cash from post

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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

A ROYAL Mail manager has been jailed for six months for stealing cash from greetings cards at the Plymouth depot.

David Baker, aged 47, was a night shift manager at Plymouth Mail Centre in Plymstock and had worked for the Royal Mail for nearly 24 years before he was suspended after an internal investigation caught him stealing.

The court heard that he earned £35,000 a year, had paid off his mortgage and owned a second property that he rented out.

He and his wife of 27 years had bought two new cars last year.

Yesterday at Plymouth Crown Court, prosecutor Piers Norsworthy said that Baker's employers became suspicious that mail was being tampered with at the Plymouth centre and mounted a surveillance operation.

On October 2, 2008, the actions of Baker aroused suspicion - he was seen selecting brightly coloured greetings cards and leaving them on a trolley he was supposed to be emptying.

He was also seen repeatedly putting his hand in his pocket.

The following night, a Royal Mail investigation team tracked him, filming his activities on VHS tape, with the highlights later transferred to DVD.

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.

Mr Norsworthy said that 22 items were found to have been tampered with in the area Baker had been working in that night.

Baker had denied the charges against him but a Plymouth jury unanimously found him guilty of two counts of interfering with mail and three of theft totalling £52.

Nick Lewin, for the defence, said Baker, from Rocky Park Road, Plymstock, continued to deny the offences.

He said: "He did not plead guilty because he was a well respected man. The evidence was pretty overwhelming but to plead guilty would have been very difficult for him."

Mr Lewin gave the judge a letter from Baker's wife and asked him not to jail his client for her benefit.

Judge Francis Gilbert QC told Baker: "This is a tragedy for your wife and indeed for your children.

"You were earning £35,000 a year as a shift manager. You had no need for this crime."

He added: "Interfering with postal packages are serious offences, in your case made worse by the fact that you were in a managerial position."

Judge Gilbert sentenced Baker to six months in prison for each of the five offences he was convicted of, to be served concurrently.

He also ordered Baker to pay his own legal costs and £3,000 towards the cost of his trial.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Now please pretty please keep the replies on this side of the decency spectrum.

[norbert]

Newspaper Comment I had my Nan sent to a home as she swore she out a fiver in my card!! i blamed the senility!! ;0)
Maths Genius, Not stealing from work

[La Poste]

I recommend a public hanging in the Mail centre car park. It should make a good spectacle.

[norbert]

I recommend a public hanging in the Mail centre car park. It should make a good spectacle.

Last Public Hanging in 1868 , Hanging abolished in 1965 , Last Working Gallows at HMP Wandsworth dismantled in 1994 , Britain would have to leave the EEC to reinstate it & would have to ignore EEC Postal Liberalisation Directives too
http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/hanging1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It'd be like this if RM organised it - budgets http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AMkQa1K ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ( Who shot Alan B'stard )

To be fair the Judge has appeared to have acted within his powers as directed by the Home Office , and this has been all over the Internet . He probably got Prison & high costs for pleading not guilty and p***ing the Authorities about .

[dvbuk55]

It could be argued that the specimen amounts were the tip of the iceberg and that all his goods and chattels be forfeit because they were the proceeds of crime.

[DGP1]

Now please pretty please keep the replies on this side of the decency spectrum.

[norbert]

It could be argued that the specimen amounts were the tip of the iceberg and that all his goods and chattels be forfeit because they were the proceeds of crime.

"He and his wife of 27 years had bought two new cars last year."

I wondered about that too , but the problem would be proving it as there's too many victims - suspicious or not , if they'd a drugs dealer etc in the dock , I'd imagine it would be easier .

If he'd pleaded guilty , I'd doubt if costs of £3000 would have been run up . I think in cases like this , the IB take a private prosecution out , allegedly there has been instances of Managers been given an option to resign without prosecution . Sounds if the local rag had got hold of the story from a "source" forcing the IB's hand .

I have known a case of a female Postie getting 18 months for the same offence . I'm afraid it doesn't sound if that place was very well run - " interesting " .

"Bob, he wasn't even working for Royal Mail in 2009 so go blame the other pilfering employees who are still at it for the fact that your card did not arrive. This is proof that it's still goes on, as i stated. It has been rumoured within Royal Mail that he was stitched up so who is covering whose backside here? Obviously the ones who were in the lower ranks were jealous and envious of this guy, shame on you and your nievity.
baker supporter, plymouth

this is called " respect " for in some RM Offices within certain ranks

Hope there's no scenes like this in " the big house " http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wWrEgY_C5s" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ( Max & Paddy )

[dvbuk55]

Now please pretty please keep the replies on this side of the decency spectrum.

I am surprised at your reticence DGP, I would have thought you would have been pleased that he would find some new "friends" whilst incarcerated

[fishtank]

Now please pretty please keep the replies on this side of the decency spectrum.

I am surprised at your reticence DGP, I would have thought you would have been pleased that he would find some new "friends" whilst incarcerated

I really hope he finds as many "friends" as he can fit in.

[DGP1]

Now please pretty please keep the replies on this side of the decency spectrum.

I am surprised at your reticence DGP, I would have thought you would have been pleased that he would find some new "friends" whilst incarcerated

because, rather like Pringles, once I start I just won't stop

[Pat Ostman]

Now please pretty please keep the replies on this side of the decency spectrum.

[Yahoorsur]

From Royal Mail to Royal Jail!


By jings them janners know how to stick the boot in.
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Ro" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ticle.html

It does sound like that he was'nt well liked by the lads and lasses down Guzz

[norbert]

From Royal Mail to Royal Jail!


By jings them janners know how to stick the boot in.
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Ro" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ticle.html

It does sound like that he was'nt well liked by the lads and lasses down Guzz

some wags on there

"I wouldn't recommend sending money through the post, but if people really think Posties take it in turns to open the envelopes that are obviously cards they could do what my first love used to do.

She'd send me cards, but enclose them in a big buff envelope of her employers and frank it using their mail bill too.

So she stole my heart, my cherry and her employers postage."
She moaned,, but less than Monica

[dvbuk55]

From Royal Mail to Royal Jail!


By jings them janners know how to stick the boot in.
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Ro" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ticle.html

It does sound like that he was'nt well liked by the lads and lasses down Guzz

some wags on there

"I wouldn't recommend sending money through the post, but if people really think Posties take it in turns to open the envelopes that are obviously cards they could do what my first love used to do.

She'd send me cards, but enclose them in a big buff envelope of her employers and frank it using their mail bill too.

So she stole my heart, my cherry and her employers postage."
She moaned,, but less than Monica

Tell us more about the moaning Norbert.............especially from Monica