Postal office worker facing jail for 100k stamps fraud

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Sheila Ord, who was responsible for organising postal services, sold on stamps belonging to company and pocketed money

A former post room supervisor has been warned she faces jail after admitting fraud involving around £100,000-worth of paper stamps.

Trusted Shiela Ord worked for global infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty and was in charge of ordering stamps for letters and parcels.

But, when the company changed procedure and began using a franking machine, the 59-year-old continued ordering the stamps and selling them on herself.

A court heard that, over a three-year period, Ord flogged around £100,000-worth of stamps to a man in Leeds and pocketed the cash.

Now Ord, who worked as a post room supervisor at the Balfour Beatty offices in North Tyneside, has been warned she faces jail after admitting fraud by abuse of position atNewcastle Crown Court.

Paul Cross, mitigating, said: “This is, almost inevitably, going to carry a prison sentence.

“But, this lady is of previous good character. It’s an unusual situation for her to get herself in to.

“My submission is a report from the Probation Service would assist the court in determining any length of sentence.”

Adjourning the sentence for the preparation of the report, Recorder Slater said: “You have pleaded guilty to this indictment.

“The next stage of the proceedings is for the Probation Service to provide a report upon you for the information of the sentencing court.

“The sentence will take place on June 4. In adjourning the case for a report and extending your bail, I make no promises as to how the sentencing judge will ultimately deal with you.

“All options are open, in particular custody in this case, as I’m sure you understand.”

At a previous hearing at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court in March, Claire Thomasson, prosecuting, said Ord had sold the stamps to a man in Leeds, reports the Newcastle Chronicle.

She said: “This is a lady who was in charge of the post room at Balfour Beatty and continued to buy stamps from 2011 when everything became franked.

“She had sold those stamps to a person in Leeds. She had a leading role - she organised it all.”

Franking involves using a machine to print pre-paid postage onto envelopes and labels in-house.

Ord, of Lynholme Grove, Forest Hall, was released on bail until the sentencing hearing on June 4.

[Lounge Lizard]

"this lady is of previous good character"

[wabbithunta]

"this lady is of previous good character"

“This is a lady who was in charge of the post room at Balfour Beatty and continued to buy stamps from 2011 when everything became franked.

“She had sold those stamps to a person in Leeds. She had a leading role - she organised it all.”

And yet she continued to buy stamps from 2011!

[Going down!]