Court told Pensnett postie failed to deliver

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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A POSTMAN from Pensnett who failed to deliver nearly 1,200 letters due to personal problems has avoided jail.

Earlier today (Monday July 26), Wolverhampton Crown Court heard Lee Richardson failed to post items containing airline tickets and credit cards, some of the undelivered mail dated back nearly 18 months.

Judge Robin Onions told 30-year-old Richardson if he had been stealing items from the mail he delayed, which probably contained letters of great sentimental value, he would have gone straight to prison.

The judge said: “We all get problems - even judges. It is how you react to them and you reacted to your problems badly."

He said it was a serious breach of trust by Richardson adding: "You caused considerable difficulties and inconvenience simply because you could not be bothered doing your job."

"You made your problems the problems for all the customers of the Post Office."

Richardson, of Mullett Street, admitted two charges of wilfully delaying mail, he was given a 52-week jail term suspended for two years.

He was further ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work in the community and placed under supervision for a year.

The judge also ordered him to pay £116 compensation - the cost of sending on the undelivered mail - together with £250 costs.

John Dove, prosecuting, said two full pouches containing 540 postal packets were found in Blewitt Street, Dudley, at a spot where postmen stored their pouches.

Inquiries revealed the letters should have been delivered by Richardson and, when his home was searched a further 657 items of mail together with 6,085 advertising flyers were found.

When questioned Richardson told officers if he missed a street on his round he would get up early the next morning to make the deliveries but he was struggling to cope and that was when he started storing the letters.

Mr Dove described the offence as “a classic case of a man burying his head in the sand” and added: "The day to day post accumulated and the number of complaints from customers increased."

Belinda Arris, defending, said Richardson accepted his actions had caused problems but he had been faced at the time with mounting personal troubles involving illness within his family.

The court was told that Richardson was suspended after the missing letters were discovered and he had since been sacked by the Post Office.

[Lounge Lizard]

The judge said: “We all get problems - even judges Gout ?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The judge said: “We all get problems - even judges Gout ?

Nah, Blisters from the gavel

[DGP1]

The judge said: “We all get problems - even judges Gout ?

Nah, Blisters from the gavel