Van stolen as worker stood at post box, court hears

[TrueBlueTerrier]

FORMER ROYAL MAIL WORKER, 72, TELLS OF ‘PANICKY FEELING’ AS THIEF DROVE OFF IN HIS PARKED VEHICLE
Van stolen as worker stood at post box, court hears
BY JOANNA SKAILES

Published: 07/05/2010

A former Royal Mail worker told a court yesterday that his van was stolen when he was on his rounds in Aberdeen.

John Sim, 72, was standing at a post box about 30ft away from his vehicle in the city’s Wellington Road when it was taken and driven away on September 11, last year, a High Court jury in Aberdeen heard.

He said he felt “panicky” and that there was a “pounding in his ears” as he tried to get help.

He eventually managed to flag down a police car and tell officers what had happened.

Mr Sim was giving evidence at the trial of Anthony Jackson, who allegedly stole a marked post office van and its contents from Wellington Road in Nigg that day.

Wendy Brown, 46, a shop assistant at Asda, told the High Court in Aberdeen that she ended up behind a Post Office van as she drove home. Its rear doors were open.

The court heard that the van had a built-in tracker device and it was recovered at the Altens industrial estate about three hours after it was stolen.

Jackson, 30, and his co-accused Peter Purcell, 36, and Terrance Jackson, 34, are also alleged to have committed assault and attempted robbery at the Halifax Bank of Scotland branch on Greenwell Road at the East Tullos industrial estate on the same day.

They allegedly wore masks and assaulted Christopher South, brandished metal bars at him, shouted at him, ordered him to drop a cash box he was holding and pushed him to the ground.

They are alleged to have forced him to open the cash box – which was empty – struck him on the body with a metal bar and tried to rob him. They are also accused of trying to force open the doors of the bank.

Terrance Jackson is also accused of stealing a jacket at Debenhams in Trinity Mall in Aberdeen on November 13, breaking a court order banning him from the Grampian area and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Charges against another co-accused, Claire Wetherly, were dropped yesterday.

The 25-year-old, who denied the charges, was accused of stealing cars from Star Vehicle Rental, Wellheads Crescent, Europcar, Broomhill Road, and Clark Commercials, Wellheads Drive, all Aberdeen.

The offences were alleged to have been committed on July 19, August 6 and September 16 last year.

Anthony Jackson, Purcell and Terrance Jackson all deny the charges.

The trial before judge Lord Uist continues.



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[noggin1969]

72 ?

[stokes11eg]

Maybe he just looked that age, after working for this company! but that was my thought! Maybe the DOMs daddy or something. most folks in my office a couple of years ago, where denied the right to stay on after retiring1

[johnsouthwales]

FORMER ROYAL MAIL WORKER, 72

note words former. and 72

how has he lost his job? everyone by now should know NOT to leave vehicles unlocked. and if this is STILL going on, it is complacency reardless of age. and who is implimenting the advice? or is it relying on word of mouth? get a grip ffs, managers and union reps must have sent reminders to all personel by now

[stokes11eg]

Yes, I noticed that too, but it seems this only happened last year, when the poor old soul was ONLY 71!

[janitor]

And why was he still working when he's 72 when two people in my office were forced to retire at 65 though both wished to keep working.

[Lounge Lizard]

Perhaps the Royal Mail van was 72 years old.