Sub-postmaster admits £10,000 fraud against Post Office

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Richard Wheatley propped up his ailing general store business by changing the accounts for the Post Office

A sub-postmaster propped up his own general store business by taking money from the Post Office accounts.

Richard Wheatley, 63, covered his tracks by changing the daily and weekly accounts for the Post Office.

But when auditors turned up at Glan y Don sub-Post Office in Mostyn, Flintshire, he told them they would find a shortfall.

At Flintshire magistrates’ court at Mold on Friday, Wheatley, who lives above the premises at Coast Road, Mostyn, admitted a £10,185 fraud against Post Office Ltd between November 2012 and April this year.

Magistrates, who described it as planned and sophisticated, adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report and bailed him in the meantime.

They warned that all options, including custody, or committal to the crown court for sentence, would remain open.

Wheatley, said to be £100,000 in debt, had been trying to sell the business for four years, had reduced the price of the property by £65,000, and had suggested the Post Office could secure a charge on his home so they could be guaranteed repayment.

Andrea Fitzgerald, prosecuting, said Wheatley, who had no previous convictions, had been at the sub post office since 1998 and also ran a general store at the premises.

In April auditors turned up for a routine audit and the defendant told them they would find a £7,000 shortage.

Checks were carried out and it turned out there was a deficiency of more than £10,000.

Interviewed, he said he could not pay his bills, and had used the Post Office computerised accounts system to generate a credit into his account without depositing money to cover it. He then inflated the figure for cash which he said was held at the Post Office.

The branch trading statements were altered to conceal the transfers so they still balanced and the daily and weekly accounts were also altered to cover the shortfall.

He resigned on April 24.

Miss Fitzgerald said the post office would be seeking £700 investigation costs and £1,500 prosecution costs.

Stephen Mullarkey, defending, said his client was a man of previous good character who had pleaded guilty at his first ever court appearance. He appreciated the seriousness of his position.

“Basically, he was operating a general store at the Coast Road in Mostyn which was not making money. Quite extraordinarily, accumulated debts amount to £100,000,” Mr Mullarkey explained.

The defendant had been juggling things about to try and keep the business afloat and conceded it had been dishonest.

“I cannot hide from the element of sophistication and pre-planning in this fraud,” he told the court.

There was no suggestion of luxurious living, it was all done to try and keep the business going to provide himself and his wife with employment.

He made immediate admissions to auditors on the day, full admitted what he had done in interview, and had pleaded guilty immediately in court.

“It is on any view a serious breach of trust,” Mr Mullarkey said.

“He was entrusted by Post Office Ltd to act in an orderly and honest manner and he did not do so.”

The property had been on the market for four years, he had now reduced it by £65,000 and he wanted to ensure the money was repaid when the property was sold.

“This has been a reality check for him,” he explained.

Magistrates said that it had been a planned and sophisticated operation and said that all sentencing options would remain open on the next occasion.

[beria]

I still cant understand why they do it ! Better to go out of business in the first place ! He was flogging a dead horse !