Postman jailed for stealing concert tickets and cash

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/region ... -1-6575026

A senior judge has warned postmen who steal mail belonging to the public that they “have to expect go to prison’’ for their crimes.

Belfast Recorder Judge David McFarland sounded the warning after he jailed postman Ciaran O’Neill for four months after he was caught in a covert sting operation by Royal Mail following suspicions he was stealing items sent through the post.

O’Neill, 26, of St Matthews Court in the Short Strand district, east Belfast, pleaded guilty at Belfast Crown Court to four counts of theft and one of fraud.

Prosecutor David McAughey told the court that O’Neill was employed as a part-time worker at the Royal Mail sorting office in Tomb Street between April 2012 and July 2012 and part of his duties was to deliver mail to areas of north Belfast.

The court heard suspicions were aroused when two people who lived near each other on his delivery route complained to Royal Mail that they did not receive concert tickets they had been expecting through the post.

The thefts involved two tickets for a Leonard Cohen concert and two tickets for a performance by DJ James Blake.

Mr McAughey said Royal Mail conducted a search of its returned mail room at Tomb Street to see if the letters had come back undelivered but they had not.

“The lost items were not found,’’ said the prosecutor, “and Royal Mail decided to set up a sting operation.’’

He told the court that three envelopes were prepared by staff which “looked like birthday cards”. One contained £25 in cash and the others held crossed or payable postal orders.

“They inserted these items into a mail tray in the returned mail room where the accused was working and he was observed taking the £25 out of the envelope.’’

When confronted by Royal Mail investigators, the court heard O’Neill claimed he saw the envelope was open, put the money in his pocket and said he planned to give the cash to his supervisor.

“Police were called and officers carried out a search of his home. There they found the two sets of concert tickets. They also found Ulster Bank cheque books in the name of a company called Sign With Flair,’’ said the prosecution lawyer.

“One of the cheques had been removed and £2,900 was taken from the business’s account and put into his own account.’’

During police interviews, O’Neill denied taking the concert tickets from the mail saying he had got them from a “third party’’ but wouldn’t say who it was.

“In respect of the £2,900 cheque, he indicated to police that he had gambling debts and was under duress to pay back £2,900 he owed.’’

The court heard that O’Neill had only taken £250 out of the £2,900 cheque he cashed. The company had not lost out as the Ulster Bank had honoured the cheque.

Judge McFarland was told that O’Neill had 26 convictions for theft offences, all of which had been committed after the Royal Mail offences were committed.

Defence barrister Conor Maguire told the Belfast Recorder that it had taken almost three years to bring the case to court.

“This is an old case. Magna Carta is now almost 800 years old and it states that there should be no delay in justice. It has taken nearly three years for the police to serve the papers. That should be held in Mr O’Neill’s favour.’’

A probation report stated that O’Neill was not a danger to the public but was regarded as a “high likelihood of reoffending’’ in the future.

Mr Maguire urged the court not to impose an immediate custodial sentence, saying O’Neill’s partner was expecting their first child in the summer and he had not been in trouble with the police since December 2014.

But Judge McFarland said the custody threshold had been met as it was a “serious breach of trust” by O’Neill on his employer.

“There is an expectation on behalf of the public that their mail will not be interfered with by postmen,’’ he said.

“There is also substantial duty on Royal Mail and its staff that postal items are properly delivered.

“When that trust is lost, members of Royal Mail have to expect to receive custodial sentences.’’

The judge sentenced O’Neill to six months in prison but reduced the sentence to four months in custody because of the delay in bringing the case to court.

[LeonardDyson]

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