Devizes postie spared jail over theft

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/ ... ver_theft/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

Devizes postman Kevin Foster has been spared a jail sentence for stealing 14 letters and cards.

The 25-year-old, from Longcroft Avenue, Devizes, admitted the charge when he appeared before Salisbury magistrates on February 7 and his case was adjourned until yesterday for a report to be prepared.

David Adams, prosecuting on behalf of the Royal Mail, said that investigators had been informed by a member of the public who had found four open greetings cards lying in a ditch in Erlestoke in November last year.

Suspicion fell on Foster, whose round covered the area, and investigators set up a sting operation in which they planted four cards, containing five £10 notes, and a mis-sorted envelope containing an electronic tracker device.

From the signal they received from the tracker they found that it was still in Foster’s possession rather than returned to the sorting office, so he was cautioned and consented to a search of his home. Because he didn’t consent to a body search, the police were called and nine open postal packets were found on his person. A greeting card stolen from his round was found discarded at his home.

In police interview Foster made a full confession and returned £50 he had stolen to post office investigators.

Foster not only lost his job with the Royal Mail but was also fired as a retained firefighter at Devizes fire station.

Paul Jones, defending, said: “My client accepts he stole a small number of packages and, because these offences do affect people’s confidence in the postal service, that he may be facing a custodial sentence today.

“But he made little financial gain and the offence was very unsophisticated. Sending him to prison will not only have an effect on the defendant but on his family as well. He and his partner have three children and she is pregnant with a fourth.”

Mr Jones said Foster and his partner were paying off a debt at £300 a month.

Foster was told by the bench that he faced a low custodial sentence but because the value of what he stole was low and the theft was not planned, he would receive a high community penalty instead.

Foster will have to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work in the community over the next year. Although the Royal Mail claimed court costs of £688, no order was made because of Foster’s dire financial position.

[Red Robbo]

His unpaid work in the community will that be fire fighting ?

[Lounge Lizard]

"nine open postal packets were found on his person"