Barnoldswick postman who stole 20,000 items jailed

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/news/89 ... ms_jailed/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


A BARNOLDSWICK postman who stole 20,000 items of mail and took cash and sentimental gifts from greetings cards, has been jailed for two years.

Keith Allen, 54, didn't just fail to deliver post, he deliberately put mail that wasn't for his round in his bag in the sorting office, took it home and rifled through it.

He helped himself to anything of value from 640 personal postal packets and when questioned by investigators admitted he had targeted cards for the money, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Allen, who had been a postman for 10 years, was rumbled when his suspicious bosses set up a sting and put tracker devices in mail. On the day he was arrested he had taken 12 packets containing cash and Marks and Spencers vouchers.

The hearing was told when investigators went to his home on St Mary's Avenue, they found a haul of stolen goods, including foreign currency, vouchers, jewellery, SIM cards and 16 DVDs.

They also discovered more than 1,100 items of addressed mail and 19,100 door to door packets - commercial mail shots - which the defendant had been paid to deliver, stashed in his house and garden.

Allen had earlier admitted an almost three year 'gross breach of trust'.

The defendant had pleaded guilty to interfering with the mail by delaying 19,100 door to door packets and 563 addressed packets, between November 2007 and June 2010, theft of 640 packets between November 2008 and last June, theft of 19,100 packets between November 2007 and June last year and theft of 12 postal packets, on June 9, 2010. He had no previous convictions and was said to have resigned after he was caught "before he was pushed."

Sentencing Allen, Judge Beverley Lunt told him: "Even without being a postman, you know perfectly well that it's vital that the public can have complete trust in the Royal Mail."

[stokes11eg]

About time they started jailing these folks.No sympathy.

[arnold cheshire]

20 000 items ? they really should be catching these thieves quicker than that

[DGP1]

20 000 items ? they really should be catching these thieves quicker than that

Over 19,000 where D2Ds and you know how quickly they can build up.

[Straight4ward]

They also discovered - - - - - - 19,100 door to door packets

didn't just fail to deliver post, he deliberately put mail that wasn't for his round in his bag

I wish someone in our office would nick my D2Ds.

(Am I allowed to say that or will I have triggered an IB investigation?)

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Letsby Avenue

[Post Off]

20 000 items ? they really should be catching these thieves quicker than that

Shows you how much RM really cares about its 'Security is all our responsibility' crap. Instead of exploiting us with they're ill-thought out new delivery schemes, they should have by now thought up better ways in which to really modernise us. I've worked in places over 20 years ago that were more modern than us (in that respect), and they were never better equipped back then than we ever were, or are!

Over 19,000 where D2Ds and you know how quickly they can build up.

Personally, I would have got myself an industrial-type shredder... You know, if I had my own walk, and I was that desperate, I might even get me a portable shredder and bolt it onto the under-side of the fitting-frame. Nah, only joking.