Jail on the cards for postman who kept 75,000 items

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Jail on the cards for postman who kept 75,000 items of stolen mail in his shed

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... n-his-shed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thieving postman John Hodson had nearly 75,000 letters and parcels in his garden shed when Royal Mail investigators swooped.

Dad-of-two Hodson, 33, said that he had been too lazy to deliver the 70,000 items of junk mail and 4,376 addressed packages, Manchester magistrates heard.

But that hadn’t stopped him from targeting gift cards, and stealing the contents.

Hodson, who was said to have debts of £50,000, was trapped after tracking devices were put in two packages in a sting by Mail investigators.

One of the packages contained a £30 voucher. Two days later Hodson was caught on CCTV using it to buy tracksuit bottoms at a sports store. He is now facing prison after admitting theft and intentionally delaying the mail between November 2006 and April this year.

Hodson, of Chudleigh Road, Crumpsall, was bailed and will be sentenced at Manchester crown court on August 22.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Rigby said an inquiry was launched after 58 greetings cards went missing in the Prestwich area.

In March, Hodson was kept under surveillance. After leaving work he went straight home and the tracking system showed the two test packages were in his car.

When confronted he had £140 that he had stolen from packages that day, said Mrs Rigby.

Also in the vehicle was an empty gift card wallet, a 20 dollar bill, and other gift-card packets.

During a search of his home the tracksuit bottoms were found along with another 269 greetings-type packages. A haul of 65 DVDs were also discovered.

Mrs Rigby said that the junk mail was in bundles and boxes, and more stolen items were in a kitchen bin. Hodson said he had been stealing for about a year. Mrs Rigby said: "He estimated he had had between £400-600 but later said he didn’t know how much he had taken.

"He described his behaviour as despicable and said he had stolen the cash to pay off debts."

The court heard he had hoarded the packages because he didn’t want to draw attention to himself.

Michael Cahill, defending, said Hodson, who had been a postman for eight years, had never previously been in trouble.

He had got into ‘an enormous amount of debt’ exceeding £50,000 with credit cards and loans.Mr Cahill said: "He was living beyond his means and everything spiralled out of control."

[stokes11eg]

'Between 2006-to date? And another one bites the dust. It always amazes me how these thieving posties hoard there ill gotten gains.

[Mr Rush]

70,000 items of junk mail

Surely "70,000 items of personalised consumer-orientated literature"? They must not have gotten the letter (wonder who's hoarding that one).

[beria]

He cauld never have got away with it for so long years ago, as each sorting office had its own R.M. security staff !