Disgruntled employee stole 13k worth of stamps from work

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A disgruntled employee stole £13,000 worth of postage stamps from his workplace and recruited a colleague to sell them on, a court heard.

Scott Winterton was caught after falsely reporting, to his boss, the stamps were missing from a delivery by the Royal Mail.

CCTV footage captured him acting suspiciously and taking a bag from the premises of stationery suppliers, Office Depot, in Beaumont Leys Lane, Leicester.

Co-accused Terence Roberts-Richards, who also worked there, later sold the stamps to a contact for £6,000 - which he shared with Winterton.


Winterton (42), of Epping Way, Glen Parva, pleaded guilty to theft of the stamps, on October 22.

He was given an eight month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.

Roberts-Richards (42), also of Epping Way, admitted handling the stamps after they were stolen.

He received a six month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 140 hours of unpaid work.

Each was ordered to pay £200 costs.

Ben Gow, prosecuting, said Winterton received the parcel of stamps from the Post Office at 7.52am and by 8.34am had reported there was a shortfall of the stamps.

Mr Gow told Leicester Crown Court: "The Royal Mail were clear their security protocol hadn't been breached."



CCTV footage showed him leaving the warehouse at 9am carrying a bag out to Roberts-Richards wife in a silver car and return without the bag.

Roberts-Richards' wife was investigated but there was no evidence of wrongdoing on her part.

She had been delivering her husband's packed lunch, which was collected by Winterton, who asked her to take the bag home.

When questioned Winterton confessed.

In interview he said told the police he committed the offence "out of spite."

Judge Philip Head told Winterton: "It was planned and the reason you did it was because you were resentful towards your employer.

"It was revenge upon your employer because you thought you hadn't received fair treatment.

"You then recruited your co-defendant to dispose of them.

"There was a degree of planning and it was in breach of trust.

"Both of you lost your jobs which was the automatic and inevitable consequence of your own dishonesty."

Martin Hirst, mitigating for Winterton, said his client, who now has a new job, had since given the £3,000 he received from the sale of the stamps back to his former employer.

He said: "He has no previous convictions and feels genuine shame and has written a letter of apology.

"It wasn't so much out of spite, as he said in interview, but more out of resentment.

"Since committing this crime he's done everything he can to put it right."

Carl Gaskell, for Roberts-Richards, said: "He was a bad lad up to the age of 25 but tried to put himself right since then.

"On this occasion he was depressed and on medication - and he's beside himself with regret that he agreed to dispose of the stamps.

"He's since got himself a new job."

[DGP1]

Nothing to do with me, I'm not disgruntled anymore

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Nothing to do with me, I'm not disgruntled anymore

Just a little Alieniated