Postie hid mail

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Postie ... 042012.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A ‘LAZY and disorganised’ postman stashed 3,000 undelivered letters and parcels in his car and garden shed, a court heard.

Jonathan Bowler, 28, of Bakewell Green, Newhall, has been ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work for his crimes.

Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court heard the items were found during searches of the defendant’s house.

Bowler was ordered to pay £1,770 costs at £300 monthly and was told by magistrate Carol Burtoft: “Learn from this huge mistake you have made.

“You put yourself in a silly position with this offence and the matter is serious.

“There may have been matters like medical appointments and birthday cards, things which mean a lot to a lot of people.”

The court was told some undelivered items were found when police investigated reports that mail was being dragged over a garden fence.

That led to a search of Bowler’s vehicle.

Martin Smith, prosecuting for the Royal Mail, said Bowler claimed one package was too big to post through a woman’s letterbox.

He claimed to have left her a note saying it needed to be collected from the post office, but the customer denied receiving this.

Mr Smith said: “He admitted he was responsible for delivering the mail and said some had not been delivered.

“Out of laziness and disorganisation, he had not brought them back to the delivery office.” After the police investigation, Royal Mail officials found more items in the garden shed.

Bowler admitted intentionally delaying 1,106 addressed and 2,279 door-to-door items between March 3, 2010, and November 23 last year in Swadlincote.

He admitted a second charge relating to 285 postal packets between March 23 and November 22.

Neil O’Driscoll, defending, said Bowler had never been in trouble before and told the court: “He let himself down, let his partner down and let his family down.

“He knows he has a duty to the post office and to members of the public as well. That is why it is a serious offence.

There was no dishonesty involved, no theft involved.

“He spent 11 years as a post office employee. This was during 18 months after nine years of excellent service with the Royal Mail.

“He tells me he was under a lot of stress when the offences were committed.” One of Bowler’s sisters had died and another emigrated to Germany, leaving him feeling ‘very much alone’.

The court was told £87 was taken from Bowler’s pension fund to pay for the delivery of the items.

He was suspended in November, dismissed the following month and now has a new job.

When Bowler was interviewed by a probation officer, he described himself as a ‘complete idiot and dreadfully sorry for what he had done’.

He said a backlog of mail built up and he decided to deliver them the following day so took the items home, but they ‘just snowballed’.

[fishtank]

Bowler was ordered to pay £1,770 costs at £300 monthly and was told by magistrate Carol Burtoft: “Learn from this huge mistake you have made.

Where does a guy with a family get a spare £300 a month from?
The courts usually allow you to spread the cost over a much longer period.

The court was told £87 was taken from Bowler’s pension fund to pay for the delivery of the items.

Why?...if he's got a spare £300 a month.
A lot of this case doesn't add up.

[Red Robbo]

The court was told £87 was taken from Bowler’s pension fund to pay for the delivery of the items.

That's very interesting, I have never read or heard this before, taking money out of the pension fund to pay for his crimes, the trustees must have approved this, will this be shown in the annual audit ?????????????????

[Lincox]

Very interesting and I would have thought very illegal. The Royal Mail pension fund does not hold individual pots for each person, the funds are invested under a discretionary trust, or were until the government took them over just recently.

[beria]

In the old days my time 1960s he would have got 3 years ! 11 months for each offence , under the old Post Office Act ! Remember in the old days you didnt get anytime off , just 6 days a week