Newsagent caught on CCTV stealing post from Royal Mail

[Stormproof]

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A MAN was caught on the CCTV of his own family-run newsagents stealing post from the Royal Mail.

Ahmed Mohammed Kassim was seen taking DVDs and a video game from a post bag stored at K&A Newsagents on Great Homer Street, Everton, where he worked.

Kassim, 29, of Wendover Avenue, Aigburth, was given an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, ordered perform 200 hours’ community work and to pay £1,000 towards the Royal Mail’s costs.

Liverpool magistrates’ court heard how the Royal Mail began an investigation in April after a man complained that his post had arrived minus its contents and resealed with sellotape on four occasions.

Prosecutor Andrea Fitzgerald said postmen and drivers were investigated but that none had worked on all the dates that post was reported missing.

She added that on one occasion a postman complained that a packet felt lighter when he went to deliver it than when he had sorted it in the mail room.

Investigators put four test packets in a post bag left at the newsagents on August 4.

Post was routinely stored there for collection by postmen as part of a system to save them carrying heavy bags too far.

Investigators found that Kassim was on his own in the shop and, when they collected the post, the test packets had been tampered with. They accessed the shop’s CCTV footage, despite Kassim claiming it did not work.

Ms Fitzgerald said the CCTV clearly showed him opening an Amazon packet identical to one of the test packets.

She said: “He can be seen opening all four test packets within six minutes of delivery and, within 25 minutes, seen walking out of the newsagent with a DVD in his hand.”

Defence lawyer Matthew Reynolds told the court that Kassim, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of theft and breaching the postal services act in relation to the test package, could not explain his “out of character” actions.

He said he had been under financial strain and had not wanted to admit to his wife or family that he had “failed in the business”.

Mr Reynolds said Kassim had now lost the trust of his brother and parents and had to move out of the house he had shared with his brother, who had taken over the business.

He said Kassim’s wife is from Yemen, speaks little English and would be vulnerable if he were jailed.

District Judge Lomax said it could "never be any other than a serious offence to tamper with the Royal Mail, because people need confidence in the Royal Mail system”. He said he wanted to send a message that anybody who interferes with the Royal Mail will take the consequences but added that “not a lot would be gained” by Kassim going to jail.

Kassim, a father-of-two, is to have the costs contribution deducted from his job-seeker’s benefits. Judge Lomax said it was "unfortunate that the state will be reimbursing the state".

After the court case Kassim’s older brother, who was working at the newsagents, called his actions “despicable”.

He told the ECHO they had jointly run the shop but that his brother had not worked there since the theft.

[subbie]

Whatever happened to mails integrity, surely the mail should be left in a Post Office to pick up?

Subbie

[Stormproof]

It seems to get dumped anywhere nowadays. That shop was probably a 'safe drop'.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Whatever happened to mails integrity, surely the mail should be left in a Post Office to pick up?

Subbie

2 Major problems with that:

1. Not enough Post Offices.
2. Duties would have to be smaller to cope with the duty holder dead walking up to a mile back to collect next bag - when sometimes I have 8 bags that makes it impracticable to say the least.

[DGP1]

Not be a problem with cdv's and hct's

[subbie]

11.400 Branches not enough?

Either way, I thought it was contrary to the Postal Services Act 2000 to give access to the Royal Mail to the public.

Maybe I shouldn't worry, after-all once Privatised the Royal Mail plan to by-pass the Post office network and let any old tom dick or harry handle the mail, well according to some pundits anyway.

Subbie

[TrueBlueTerrier]

11.400 Branches not enough?

Not when you take into account there are 60,000 walking deliveries in the UK and most are confined to a releatively small geographical area (probably 500 to 700m square roughly) Just walking direct from 1 sub PO to another you have to walk through 4 different walking duties in my area - not very efficient use of time my manager would suggest.

Either way, I thought it was contrary to the Postal Services Act 2000 to give access to the Royal Mail to the public.

All safe drops sign a contract and have to confirm to the requirements of various acts including the Postal Acts.

Maybe I shouldn't worry, after-all once Privatised the Royal Mail plan to by-pass the Post office network and let any old tom dick or harry handle the mail, well according to some pundits anyway.

Subbie