Postman sentenced for stealing parcels

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'It is a criminal offence to tamper with or delay the delivery of mail.'

A FORMER postman, from Barrow-upon-Soar, is to pay over £8,800 after stealing parcels.

Richard Hollingworth, aged 44, of Beaumont Road, Barrow-upon-Soar, has received a suspended prison sentence and has been ordered to pay compensation of £75.60, a victim surcharge of £80 and costs of £8,886.25 by Leicester Magistrates’ Court.

The Royal Mail confirmed that Hollingworth worked for the company at the Royal Mail Loughborough Delivery Office, of Nottingham Road.

On October 12, 2016, Hollingworth indicated a plea of guilty to stealing a postal packet containing an Xbox game on April 20, 2016.

He also indicated a plea of guilty to stealing postal packets containing a Playstation 4 game and Scuf game controller between April 20, 2016 and May 10, 2016.

Hollingworth also indicated a plea of guilty to stealing two postal packets containing computer games between May 10, 2013, and May 10, 2016.

Hollingworth was handed a 20 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months by Leicester Magistrates’ Court.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: “Royal Mail has a zero tolerance approach to any dishonesty and that stance is shared by the overwhelming majority of postmen and women, who are honest and hardworking and who do all they can to protect the mail and deliver it safely.

“It is a criminal offence to tamper with or delay the delivery of mail.

“Royal Mail will always seek to prosecute the tiny minority of people who abuse their position of trust as we have done in this case.

“While we cannot comment on the detail of individual disciplinary cases, we can confirm that the postman in question is no longer employed by Royal Mail.

“The safety and security of mail is of the utmost importance to this business and Royal Mail will not allow the actions of any individual to damage the good reputation of our thousands of hard-working postmen and women.”