Helston postman pleads guilty to stealing cash from cards

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Helston postman pleads guilty to stealing cash from birthday cards

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A Helston postman has pleaded guilty to stealing birthday cards and other greeting cards containing money to pay for food and heating for his family.

Benjamin David Williams, 37, of Treskewes Estate, St Keverne, Helston, said he was down to eating one meal a day because of the financial crisis his family was going through at the time of the offences.

He pleaded guilty to three offences of theft from Royal Mail involving stealing packets containing money, and 322 other commercial communications which he dumped.

Nicholas Bradley, prosecuting for Royal Mail, said Williams had been a postman for nearly eight years.

He had been suffering from financial problems and was the only breadwinner in the house. His wife was suffering from depression and his daughter had cerebral palsy.

He stole postal packets, particularly those he knew were likely to have cash in them, and this had been going on since September last year.

He was eventually caught when the Royal Mail set two test packages and he stole one of them containing £15.

He told his employers he had taken money to buy food because things were difficult. He was only getting one meal a day and had been hungry when he stole.

Mr Bradley told the magistrates "Investigators found the circumstances in which Williams' family were living were particularly poor and they could not remember attending a home where things were looking quite so bad."

When Williams was suspended from work on pay he resigned after four days saying he could not bring himself to accept pay knowing what he had done.

"People who lost money never knew…" said Mr Bradley, saying that the cost of the investigation was over £3,000.

Williams, who had no previous convictions, told the magistrates: "My back was against the wall. I did not do this for a lifestyle but spent money on heating oil for warmth and food for the family. I was working from 3 am to 6 pm but it was not enough and I was lucky to have one meal a day."

He said he was now working as a baker and picking daffodils to improve things financially.

Williams was told to do 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £60 victim surcharge. There were no prosecution costs asked for due to his lack of means.