Postie stole mail to save daughter from loan shark

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... loan_shark" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A postman who stole more than 200 items of mail has been spared jail after a court heard he had been trying to save his daughter from a loan shark.

Michael Chadwick, 55, had an unblemished record of more than 19 years at the Royal Mail depot in Rochdale before he began the thefts last summer.

He was caught after Royal Mail investigators set a trap using test parcels – some of which were found in his car.

Rochdale magistrates court heard stolen items including rare stamps and shopping vouchers were offered for sale by his daughter on the internet.

Chadwick was given a suspended prison sentence after his solicitor said he had stolen to help his daughter out of financial difficulties.

Donald Owen, defending, said Chadwick’s daughter was under the grip of ‘some form of loan shark’.

Bernadette Hynes, prosecuting for Royal Mail, said Chadwick told police he was ‘totally ashamed’. She said: “He said his daughter had come to him and needed this and that. He opened the postal packets looking for money for her.”

Chadwick, of Howarth Cross Street, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to stealing 29 postal packets on March 18 and to a charge of stealing a quantity of postal packets between July 2009 and March 18 this year.

Investigators were alerted after a man reported he had not received some rare stamps. Similar stamps were discovered for sale by Chadwick’s daughter, Pamela, on the internet.

Thirty-nine greeting cards were also reported missing between July 2009 and June 2010. Police recovered more than 200 packages from her father’s loft. Another 27, including two of the test parcels, were found in his car and 29 in his postal bag.

Mr Owen said Miss Chadwick had ‘bled dry’ Chadwick and his wife. Chadwick was sentenced to six weeks in prison for each offence to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months.

They ordered him to do 150 hours’ unpaid work and pay £350 costs.

Chairman of the Bench Glenda Wilde said: “These offences are very, very serious. The public must have complete trust in postal workers."

Chadwick has since resigned from his job, the court was told.

[Thunderthighs]

The way my kids spend our money, I'll have to nick stuff to save me from the kids...bugger the loan shark, lol!!!

[glenfiddich]

no excuse should still be a prison sentence

[fishtank]

I don't buy it.
If your daughter needs money desperately and you don't have it to hand you go get a loan from the bank,you sell your motor,you remorgage what little equity you may have on your house you sell the family silver etc.etc.
You do not in my opinion go around nicking kids birthday cards.

[Thunderthighs]

Couldn't he have "bartered" for his daughter?

[DGP1]

Couldn't he have "bartered" for his daughter?

I'm sure the loan shark would've been interested

[Thunderthighs]

NO, NO! I meant sheep, goats...You know, SEXY things.

( Gosh, I'm just wasting my time with non-Welsh folks, lol! )

[not me]

so the message is.as long as you 'need' the money then you can steal?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

NO, NO! I meant sheep, goats...You know, SEXY things.

( Gosh, I'm just wasting my time with non-Welsh folks, lol! )

[Thunderthighs]

Thats MORE like it, Boyo!

Got her fon number, by the way?

[stokes11eg]

Is that Dolly the sheep? I can see this site degenerating again into the morass of male fantasies, but pleaseremember it's Sunday morning.

[DGP1]

Is that Dolly the sheep? I can see this site degenerating again into the morass of male fantasies, but pleaseremember it's Sunday morning.

Being a townie I don't get it but then dvb does it for me

[stokes11eg]

Thought you did a rural route? WHAT, no sheep there? Glad to see you and DVB are an item again. Better that the Peter and Tilly story anyway.

[DGP1]

Thought you did a rural route? WHAT, no sheep there? Glad to see you and DVB are an item again. Better that the Peter and Tilly story anyway.

Rurals in my area are really motorised towns (just an excuse to make our duties 5-6 hours ) and me and dvb have always been an item...............after all we've spent so much time in the naughty room it would be hard to be otherwise.

[andy2007]

Why didn't he just go to the Police, if it was a loan shark?