S Wootton postman fiddled £1,600 from till

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/S-Wootto ... 4763978.jp

A FORMER Royal Mail worker who stole almost £1,600 in two months while working at the Austin Fields delivery office in Lynn was given a suspended prison sentence on Wednesday.
Malcolm Baker, of 27 Rainsthorpe, South Wootton, took money received for stamps while working in the public callers' office, Lynn Magistrates' Court was told.

The 34-year-old defendant, who resigned from his job five days after being suspended in July, admitted stealing £1,593 belonging to the Royal Mail between May 25 and July 15 this year.

He was given a ten-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, including a community order under which he must do 150 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £1,800 towards the £3,872 prosecution costs.

Presiding magistrate Dr Michael Cliffe told Baker: "This is a theft in breach of trust... It was a planned series of takings of money, operated over a fairly long term, and did result in suspicion being placed on your colleagues."

Hugh Cauthery, prosecuting, said Baker had been working at the Lynn office for 18 years. He was one of two full-time employees in the callers' section, and did the afternoon shifts, with other staff covering meal breaks.

The defendant had to balance his till float at the end of his shift and an audit showed a difference between his stock of postage stamps and the amount in that account.

Over two days in July, a covert camera was installed to record the defendant on duty. He was seen pressing a key on the till to produce an audit of transactions well before the end of his shift.

Mr Cauthery said Baker continued using the till to 6.45pm, removed the money from it and kept the second audit report. He did a similar thing the next day. On July 15, after a surveillance and testing operation on him, Royal Mail investigators approached the defendant. He was interviewed at Lynn Police Station and a search of his clothing revealed £70 in cash from the till.

After being told of the camera evidence, Baker admitted taking money from the till after the audits but said the person covering meal breaks had made mistakes and was responsible for some of the discrepancies.

And when told the total amount outstanding he said damaged stamps had to be taken into the reckoning – but no damage was shown on the audit sheets, the prosecutor said.

The court heard Baker had repaid £380 plus the £70 found on him, leaving £1,143 – and that had been recouped from his pension contribution payments.

In mitigation, solicitor Tim Bartlam said the defendant resigned following his suspension and "did all the right things at the police station".

He took the money after running into debt because of the effect of one-day strikes at the Royal Mail and not being paid overtime, he said.

[ruralpostie]

And u know what the worst bit about it is...........He was a trusted union rep too!!!!

[DGP1]

He took the money after running into debt because of the effect of one-day strikes at the Royal Mail and not being paid overtime, he said.

It's not an excuse, we all lost money because of the strikes and if you have to work overtime just to make ends meet then you are living beyond your means:mad it's just an excuse to blame someone else for your own greed .

[TrueBlueTerrier]

He took the money after running into debt because of the effect of one-day strikes at the Royal Mail and not being paid overtime, he said.

It's not an excuse, we all lost money because of the strikes and if you have to work overtime just to make ends meet then you are living beyond your means:mad it's just an excuse to blame someone else for your own greed .

Also as we had plenty of time between when strikes where first mooted in about May/June time and the first strikes in August. Why did he not take the option of doing docket earlier and putting some away. Poor excuse.

[Lounge Lizard]

Sdaly it now appears to be the norm just to give suspended sentances for such offences - a slap on the wrist and told not to do it again.

[rugbymalc]

What is not mentioned is that, even after he left money was still going missing from the till. also that for over the 6 months leading to this, he had been underpaid has basic wage and had worked overtime every week but yet the manager had not paid him.
best of all that same manager was reported to have been selling sheets of stamps in a pub. 2 weeks later leaving on evr?????

baker never stole anything, left for a better paid 9 to 5 monday to friday job. the manager stitched him up. speak to [name removed], baker had given in his notice 2 weeks before being so called caught. and the i b never searched his house... maybe because he had nothing.

yes i know who really stole the money a new manager who was also the other caller office worker.

[BT2010]

What is not mentioned is that, even after he left money was still going missing from the till. also that for over the 6 months leading to this, he had been underpaid has basic wage and had worked overtime every week but yet the manager had not paid him.
best of all that same manager was reported to have been selling sheets of stamps in a pub. 2 weeks later leaving on evr?????

baker never stole anything, left for a better paid 9 to 5 monday to friday job. the manager stitched him up. speak to [name removed], baker had given in his notice 2 weeks before being so called caught. and the i b never searched his house... maybe because he had nothing.

yes i know who really stole the money a new manager who was also the other caller office worker.

so why admit it?
and the covert cameras?
if he had gone not guilty and there was no evidence surely it would not have made it to court