http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/n ... age_fraud/
Judge David Hatton told Royal Mail delivery Brian Cole, 51, he was stupid to get involved in the scam
A ROYAL Mail delivery driver who labelled himself an 'idiot' for becoming involved in a £34,000 fraud on his employer was spared an immediate prison sentence at Bradford Crown Court.
Brian Cole, 51, made only £120 from the scam set up by Bradford businessman Mohammed Ishaq, who was too ill to attend court today.
Cole, of Hillcrest Drive, Queensbury, Bradford, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiracy to defraud the Royal Mail, between July and October, 2012.
Ishaq, 39, of Cumberland Road, Lidget Green, Bradford, who faced the same charge, had the case against him discontinued by the prosecution.
Derek Duffy, barrister for the Royal Mail, said Ishaq remained very ill and would be unable to attend court in the foreseeable future.
Mr Duffy said the fraud involved the Royal Mail's Postage Paid Impression (PPI) service for business customers who produced large volumes of post.
In May, 2012, Ishaq set up a PPI account but paid only £148.50 into it between July, 2012 and January, 2013.
An investigation began into Cole, a collection network driver who picked up mail to take to the postal office.
He was seen to divert from his legitimate route to attend business premises in City Road, Bradford.
On January 16, 2013, Cole was arrested after attending at Power Start garage and being seen loading mailbags into his delivery van.
Seized from the vehicle were 14 delivery bags all tagged with the PPI label. There were a total of 4,300 packages with a revenue value of £2,150. All bore fraudulent PPI stamps that belonged to Ishaq's company.
Mr Duffy said Cole made six collections in all on behalf of Ishaq, who benefited to the tune of £34,300 from the fraud.
Cole's solicitor advocate, Michael Reeves, said he told his probation officer he was an idiot to get involved with the scam.
He had lost his job with the Royal Mail but was about to start new work as a market researcher.
Judge David Hatton QC told Cole: "It was a serious breach of trust on your employer which has resulted, quite rightly, in your dismissal.
"You were not the driving force in this conspiracy, you were simply a cog but an important one, in the scheme of Mohammed Ishaq."
The judge continued: "You have for your stupidity suffered enormously and will no doubt continue to do so in a financial way."
Cole was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 220 hours of unpaid work.
The Royal Mail is pursuing a confiscation hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act.