Hoarding postman spared jail

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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A postman who hoarded more than a thousand letters and parcels in her car has walked free from court.

Lindsey Burke stashed 1,434 items of mail because she couldn't keep up with her round. She pleaded guilty to delaying postal packets at a hearing at Oldham Magistrates' Court. Elizabeth Rigby, prosecuting, said: “She had been employed as a post woman at Oldham delivery office for one year and nine months until her suspension and subsequent resignation.

“Residents of walk 211 had complained of non-delivery of mail and on each date, the defendant had performed that walk.” Investigators followed Burke, 25, of Abbey Road, Hollin, and discovered stashed in her boot and compartments in her car. They included 52 greetings cards, letters and packets, dated between October 27 2011 and March 21 this year.

None of the mail had been opened and has since been redelivered. Tom Stevenson, defending, said: “Miss Burke had been struggling to cope after the death of her grandfather which had a profound effect in her and led her into a spiral of depression. The bulk of the mail had been delayed from March 16 after a vandal attack on her car.

“It meant she had gone to work late and wasn't able to complete her delivery so she decided to keep the mail and try to deliver it over the coming days. “But she couldn't catch up and the mail began to mount up.” Burke, who has no previous convictions, was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 12 months. She was also given a 12 month community order and must pay £150 costs and £86 compensation.

Heulyn Gwyn Davies, a Royal Mail spokesman, said: “Royal Mail has a zero tolerance approach to any dishonesty and that stance is shared by the overwhelming majority of postmen and women, who are honest and hardworking and who do all they can to protect the mail and deliver it safely. We will always seek to prosecute the tiny minority of people who abuse their position of trust. “Royal Mail customers should be confident in our services and systems, but where we are alerted to problems, either through our own stringent checks or from information supplied by our customers, we always take decisive action to investigate.”

[doorstepped]

A postman who hoarded more than a thousand letters and parcels in her car has walked free from court.

a nice bit of proof reading was done there then :)

[stokes11eg]

'A postman--in HER' car? But still not funny,it really is time for vigorous spot checks to be carried out on the private cars still in use!

[DGP1]

'A postman--in HER' car? But still not funny,it really is time for vigorous spot checks to be carried out on the private cars still in use!

Maybe just make sure all PCOD are banned to stop that, everybody returns to the office and unloads van/trolly which will soon reduce the hoarders.

[steven100]

Banning people using cars on delivery.....is this really that hard.

[POSTMAN]

You ban the cars,the place would fall apart,RM aint that stoopid.

[DGP1]

You ban the cars,the place would fall apart,RM aint that stoopid.