Postman faces charges of stealing and delaying mail

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Postman faces charges of stealing and delaying mail


Postman faces charges of stealing and delaying mail Postman faces charges of stealing and delaying mail

A POSTMAN is facing charges that he stole 883 mail items and delayed the delivery of another 30,000 over a five year period.

John Baden, 29, is accused of stealing packages that he should have delivered during his postal rounds in St Helens.

Baden, of Whittle Street, Toll Bar, faces a further charge that he breached his duty by intentionally delaying the delivery of more than 9,857 addressed letters and 20,139 door to door mail items.

He is alleged to have committed the offences between November 2007 and November 2012.

The Star revealed in November how a huge stash of hoarded mail had been uncovered during a raid.

It led to a Royal Mail investigation and thousands of delayed letters and parcels being sent out to customers with a letter of apology. Addresses the mail was destined for are believed to have included homes in Moss Bank and Rainford.

Last year Royal Mail refused to release the name of the postman under investigation despite customers raising concerns.

The Star also understands postal workers in St Helens were under strict instructions to remain tight-lipped when asked about the investigation.

The Royal Mail, which has its own investigative body, did not make public that Baden was facing a prosecution.

However, the Star has learned he made an initial appearance before magistrates in St Helens, who bailed him to appear at Liverpool Crown Court until a date in May when he will enter a plea.

Baden is on unconditional bail.

[UnhappyGremlin]

Is it just me, or does this kind of thing seem to be happening more and more?

Why can't people just do what they are paid for? We all end up getting tarnished with the same brush.

[beria]

Did he have enough time to deliver the mail ?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

How crooked postman John Baden pocketed gifts and cash from greetings cards

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A POSTMAN betrayed families by pocketing thousands of pounds worth of greetings cards gifts that were intended for homes across the town.

John Baden, 29, is now starting an 18 month jail sentence for the five year deceit in which he failed to deliver up to 30,000 items of mail.

He admitted stealing 883 postal packets, many of which were greetings cards containing cash or gift tokens addressed by the sender to loved ones or friends.

Appearing at Liverpool Crown Court, Baden, from Whittle Street, Toll Bar, was described as a "broken man" who had stolen the gifts because he was drowning with debts.

After being caught out in a Royal Mail sting operation last November, searches led to undelivered mail being discovered in his clothes, living room and bathroom of his house, shed, car and work locker.

The court was told it was not possible to say exactly how much Baden had stolen – but the cost is believed to have run into thousands.

Initially asked why he had not posted the letters Baden, who married last month, had put it down to "laziness".



Sentencing, Judge David Aubrey said: "The overwhelming inference is that you were seeking to find money from greetings cards and the like because of the debts that you had amassed.

"Many, many members of the public will have suffered the consequences of what you did over a period of time."

Baden, wearing glasses and with his faced reddened, sat in the dock as it was explained he stole cash and vouchers – either once or twice a week - from cards over a five-year period.

Defending, Rob Haygarth had claimed Baden became burdened with debt since moving out from his parents’ home a year after starting work as a postman.


The judge added: "You must understand the anxiety and distress that your thefts and mail interference must have caused to many people.

"It is not just the financial aspect of this that is so serious - which must have been between £2,500 and £5,000 over a five year period - it is the sentimental value of so much mail not being received by members of the public."

Judge Aubrey accepted that the defendant, who was tearful during interviews with the police and probation, is a "broken man and remorseful".

However, he said the breach of trust was enormous.

He added: "The Royal Mail must be staffed by those with 100per cent integrity and the general public must have unassailable confidence in the Royal Mail in order for it to succeed in the work that it does.

“This court regrets to say that you failed the Royal Mail and the public.”

Baden admitted one count of stealing 883 postal packets between November 13, 2007 and November 13, 2012.

He also admitted a second charge of breaching his duty by intentionally delaying the delivery of more than 9,857 addressed letters and 20,139 door to door mail items during the same period.

He was handed an 18-month jail term for the theft and a 12 month term for withholding the mail, sentences which will run concurrently.

It is expected he will serve half the 18 months before being released on licence.

Baden appeared to burst into tears as he was sent down.

Post was stashed under the bath, car seats and wardrobes

JOHN Baden went to extraordinary lengths to stash away the vast sum of stolen and undelivered mail he was hoarding.

Royal Mail investigators had become suspicious last year after mounting complaints from customers about mail going undelivered, particularly greeting cards, John Gibson, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court.

Realising that the addresses involved were on Baden's round, two 'test cards' were planted in the postal system last November.

One he delivered, but the other - contained a greeting card – he kept hold of.

Baden's daily activities then came under surveillance - and when he was spotted cutting short a delivery run officers moved in.

As he headed for the gym, he was searched and in his pockets were gift vouchers taken from greeting cards intended for St Helens homes and in his holdall were cards.

There were also bank notes that had been in the planted birthday card.

From there the investigation was ramped up and when his terraced house on Whittle Street, Toll Bar was searched more than 20,000 postal packets were uncovered.

As Royal Mail investigators searched the terraced property they found mail in kitchen cupboards, under the bath, in his garden shed and at the side of the house.

Another 415 were outside in a wheelie bin, 25 which were open.

In his car there was mail in the glovebox and under the driver and passenger seats. He had even hid items in his locker at St Helens postal sorting office.