Postman with rounds in Chester-le-Street, Gateshead and Pete

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Postman with rounds in Chester-le-Street, Gateshead and Peterlee in court

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A FORMER postman has been given a suspended jail sentence after dumping more than 1,200 letters because his round was too big.

Todd Riley, 23, of Ivanhoe Terrace, Chester-le-Street, also admitted opening a parcel and causing criminal damage.

Riley, who was based at the Washington Royal Mail sorting office, on Wearside, admitted three charges at Consett Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The court heard he had too many letters to deliver and was unable to return them to the depot.

An investigation was launched after 178 packages were found in a recycling bin near his home. He had two bin liners full of post in his own bin.

Paul Heron, prosecuting, said: “He explained he had too much mail to deliver and he was not able to do it all.

“He admitted that he had opened one or two of the packets.

He acknowledged he had been stupid.”

The offences were committed between February 26 and 28 this year. Riley was a postman for more than two years in Chester-le-Street, Gateshead and Peterlee, County Durham.

Chris Blackburn, in mitigation, said: “He expressed to the officer interviewing him that he was sorry and I have been asked to echo that in court.

"He knows how stupid he has been and how serious this is.”

Mr Blackburn said his client was “keen, young and enthusiastic” and “did the job with relish”.

He said: “His employers were impressed by him. It ended in him doing rounds he was not familiar with.

“Matters came to a head that weekend and everything got too much.

“He was delivering bagfuls of mail. He had delivered ten and had two left.”

Riley, who hopes to join the Royal Navy, was given an eight-week jail sentence, suspended for six months, ordered to carry out 120 hours of community service and pay £260 in costs.

The court heard he has since resigned.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We will always seek to prosecute the tiny minority of people who abuse their position of trust.”

[Postman Plodd]

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We will always seek to prosecute the tiny minority of people who abuse their position of trust.
Unless they're managers then we'll give them a bonus and a big kiss"