Letter-theft postie in suspended jail term

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/crim ... jail-term/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A postman who stored hundreds of items of post, including some in mail sacks in the garage at his ex-girlfriend’s home, has been spared an immediate jail term.

Other items of mail were kept in a downstairs cloakroom in the house in Brierley Hill, some of which dated back to 2008.

Postman Jamie Paterson was suspended from work at the Brierley Hill office after Royal Mail investigators were tipped off. Post was also discovered at Paterson’s home in Tipton. Judge Amjad Nawaz, sitting at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday, heard that Paterson committed a “serious breach of trust” by failing to deliver the mail.

The judge criticised Paterson for causing “severe inconvenience” to residents who may have been denied receiving personal letters and invitations as well as bank cards and statements.

Paterson was also found to have kept 23 Lovefilm DVD packages, including two which had been opened and were missing the discs. Paterson, aged 38, of Sedgley Road East, Tipton, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to charges of delaying post and theft.

Judge Nawaz sentenced Paterson to six months imprisonment, suspended for 15 months to run concurrent on the charges. He will also be subject to supervision by the probation service and ordered to do 80 hours unpaid work.

Mr John Dove, prosecuting on behalf of Royal Mail, said Paterson kept hold 486 addressed letters and 161 door-to-door leaflets during two stints as a postman in Brierley Hill and Kidderminster.

Royal Mail received a call from Paterson’s ex-partner on October 11 last year saying she had found Royal Mail sacks in her garage which she rarely entered due to a phobia of spiders, Mr Dove told the court.

Royal Mail investigators then found further postal packets under a pile of coats in the cloakroom of the home. Another 241 postal packets were discovered at Paterson’s home as police were called to investigate.

Miss Sarah Allen, defending, said Paterson had been diagnosed with depression in 2005. She said: “The DVDs had only been taken to cheer himself up. He knows that it was a serious breach of trust.”

[arnold cheshire]

theirs a lot getting away with it these days

[DGP1]

theirs a lot getting away with it these days

What would have happen? Our jails are already too full, sending everyone to prison doesn't stop crime and at approx. £40k per year to keep someone in jail, I think better alternatives should be used to help reduce re offending and reduce costs.

[stokes11eg]

theirs a lot getting away with it these days

Yes. There is.

[dvbuk55]

The reason they are getting away with it is because we have become a nation of weak apologists - he was depressed and took the DVDs to cheer himself up - what a crock of crap - would buying them not have cheered him up - or was he in debt because he couldn't control his spending and the reason was because he was depressed.................I get depressed hearing about these tales. Nobody seems to want to take responsibility for what they do and expect leniency for a multitude of totally irrelevant facts. What seriously astounds me is the length of time it takes to uncover these thefts - he'd been at it since 2008 ffs and was only caught because of a tip off wtf.

[stokes11eg]

The reason they are getting away with it is because we have become a nation of weak apologists - he was depressed and took the DVDs to cheer himself up - what a crock of crap - would buying them not have cheered him up - or was he in debt because he couldn't control his spending and the reason was because he was depressed.................I get depressed hearing about these tales. Nobody seems to want to take responsibility for what they do and expect leniency for a multitude of totally irrelevant facts. What seriously astounds me is the length of time it takes to uncover these thefts - he'd been at it since 2008 ffs and was only caught because of a tip off wtf.

All true. Stil think they should go back to the ay it was. In my office at least, you were quite often 'tailed' by a manager during your first few weeks. they would pop up all over!
And, in bygone days, when we had a nightshift, sometimes you'd go in, and find Managers with a guilty expression slotting in your mail. (Those were the days when they NEVER soiled their hands doing this!)
You always knew when they had been doing this, because your mis-sorts would rise from your normal amount, to perhaps twenty or thirty! You know you were being tested, and it put the breaks on any would be thiefs!

[UnhappyGremlin]

theirs a lot getting away with it these days

What would have happen? Our jails are already too full, sending everyone to prison doesn't stop crime and at approx. £40k per year to keep someone in jail, I think better alternatives should be used to help reduce re offending and reduce costs.

Just because the jails are too full we should allow criminals to roam the streets and re-offend? Interesting viewpoint.
As far as costing too much to keep them in jail goes, it probably costs a fair bit to keep them out of jail too. He won't have another job will he? So benefits will be being claimed, including council tax, possibly rent, JSA etc. etc. And possibly could be committing further crime. Like nicking DVD's from shops etc.
If people got proper sentences for their offences, and then some rehabilitation also, it would be a deterrent. It would take a while to take proper effect, but it would eventually filter through, the prison population would temporarily rise.
But as all they get is a slap on the wrist, then it is no wonder re-offending rates are at their highest level ever. And while in jail, they can't commit further offences either, at least, not against the general public.
Allowing so many to get away with it sends the wrong message, and may encourage others in a desperate situation to do similarly.
There is no real definitive answer to this conundrum, but turning a blind eye certainly isn't the right one.

[clashcityrocker]

If people got proper sentences for their offences, and then some rehabilitation also, it would be a deterrent.

Unfortunately there is no evidence to back that up.
Some countries have the death penalty.
Is it a deterrent?

[UnhappyGremlin]

If people got proper sentences for their offences, and then some rehabilitation also, it would be a deterrent.

Unfortunately there is no evidence to back that up.
Some countries have the death penalty.
Is it a deterrent?

Not to everyone no. No matter what you do, there will always be a certain section of people that will commit crimes irrelevant of any punishment they may receive.
As far as the death penalty goes, it should be reinstated in this country, save on taxes.

There is no evidence to back up my idea as it's never really been tried.

[fishtank]

Just because the jails are too full we should allow criminals to roam the streets and re-offend? Interesting viewpoint..

Reality is the enemy of the idealist.

[fishtank]

As far as the death penalty goes, it should be reinstated in this country, save on taxes.

Report of the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice (2008):

“The additional cost of confining an inmate to death row, as compared to the maximum security prisons where those sentenced to life without possibility of parole ordinarily serve their sentences, is $90,000 per year per inmate. With California’s current death row population of 670, that accounts for $63.3 million annually.”

Using conservative rough projections, the Commission estimates the annual costs of the present (death penalty) system to be $137 million per year.

The cost of the present system with reforms recommended by the Commission to ensure a fair process would be $232.7 million per year.

The cost of a system in which the number of death-eligible crimes was significantly narrowed would be $130 million per year.

The cost of a system which imposes a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration instead of the death penalty would be $11.5 million per year.

[UnhappyGremlin]

As far as the death penalty goes, it should be reinstated in this country, save on taxes.

Report of the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice (2008):

“The additional cost of confining an inmate to death row, as compared to the maximum security prisons where those sentenced to life without possibility of parole ordinarily serve their sentences, is $90,000 per year per inmate. With California’s current death row population of 670, that accounts for $63.3 million annually.”

Using conservative rough projections, the Commission estimates the annual costs of the present (death penalty) system to be $137 million per year.

The cost of the present system with reforms recommended by the Commission to ensure a fair process would be $232.7 million per year.

The cost of a system in which the number of death-eligible crimes was significantly narrowed would be $130 million per year.

The cost of a system which imposes a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration instead of the death penalty would be $11.5 million per year.

Yes. But you don't have to wait to execute someone do you? Not knowing any facts from our own history, but I'm sure when we did have the death penalty, it didn't take anywhere near as long for the sentence to be carried out in the UK as it currently does in the US. You'd have to allow time for appeals etc., but put a 2 to 5 year maximum on it or something, or use it only in extreme circumstances when guilt is absolute.

[dvbuk55]

As far as the death penalty goes, it should be reinstated in this country, save on taxes.

Report of the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice (2008):

“The additional cost of confining an inmate to death row, as compared to the maximum security prisons where those sentenced to life without possibility of parole ordinarily serve their sentences, is $90,000 per year per inmate. With California’s current death row population of 670, that accounts for $63.3 million annually.”

Using conservative rough projections, the Commission estimates the annual costs of the present (death penalty) system to be $137 million per year.

The cost of the present system with reforms recommended by the Commission to ensure a fair process would be $232.7 million per year.

The cost of a system in which the number of death-eligible crimes was significantly narrowed would be $130 million per year.

The cost of a system which imposes a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration instead of the death penalty would be $11.5 million per year.

Well yes very interesting statistics BUT there's little point in having a death penalty if you aren't prepared to carry it out. They may just as well say "life without parole", stick them in an ordinary style prison and let them kill one another. Why do you think there will never be a public referendum on the death penalty in this country? Why have a sentence of 20 years when they only serve 12 in this country. We need to have a justice system that reflects the crime and sentences that are realistic - public humiliation should not be disregarded, the stocks, the birch and beheading or public flogging etc. We are far too soft on criminals.

[UnhappyGremlin]

If there is a reason it costs so much to keep someone on death row, it's probably because they have nothing to lose.
There is no incentive to behave. They are going to die, what else can they be threatened with? Another death sentence? Can't kill them twice.
Also, there is a lot of gang related violence in American jails. Too much disrespect.

If someone is jail for life, why is it cheaper? What makes death row more expensive than maximum security? If someone is in jail it should cost the same on death row or maximum security. What extra costs are there?

I can see that it would cost a fair bit to pay people to work there, due to the danger etc. But being in 2 types of jail that house differently sentenced criminals, can't see how the costs are so much different.

[DB1100]

The death penalty should never be brought back,there have been too many people wrongly convicted of murder.I do believe prison should be a lot harder with no luxuries and anything destroyed in rioting should not be replaced i.e bedding,books or any exercise equipment,parole should be earned not given and the birch should be brought back for minor offences so people could be punished without getting a criminal record.