Postman stole computer game parcels
A postman from the Black Country who stole packages containing computer games and DVDs worth more than £2,000 has been jailed for eight months.
A postman from the Black Country who stole packages containing computer games and DVDs worth more than £2,000 has been jailed for eight months.
Michael Guest, of Boundary Hill, Dudley, was snared by a Royal Mail investigation in July after a number of parcels went missing over a nine-month period, Wolverhampton Magistrates Court heard.
The 40-year-old, who had worked for the Royal Mail for 13 years and was based in Wednesbury, targeted around 30 packages from Amazon, Carphone Warehouse and Play.com.
He pocketed items worth £2,069 which had been sent through Royal Mail and sold them to second-hand shops across Dudley and Birmingham.
Mr John Dove, prosecuting, said: "West Midlands Police received a complaint from a member of the public over non-receipt of items from Play.com. They had not received DVDs and games."
Mr Dove continued that a surveillance operation was carried out in the packing area at the Wednesbury sorting office in Kings Hill Business Park in July where Guest was seen to pocket items and open parcels.
A similar exercise was carried out in August where he was again seen stealing items and he was hauled into the management office where he admitted stealing up to 30 items.
In interview Guest, who no longer works for Royal Mail after handing in his notice, said he was going through personal problems and was in £35,000 worth of debt.
Mr Martin Fawlk, defending, said: "He was in a position of trust and fully admitted his wrong doings at the first opportunity."
Christine Myatt, chairperson of the bench, told Guest: "Your actions could have caused distress to the general public who did not receive their goods and loss of trust to the postal service by the public."
Guest admitted two counts of theft by an employee and an offence of opening mail packages.
He was given an eight-month prison sentence at the hearing yesterday.
In October a postman was fined for dumping thousands of leaflets and flyers, including some from West Midlands Police police, in recycling bins.
David Crump, 37, of Chaldron Close in Pendeford, pleaded guilty at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court to delaying postal packets and three charges of criminal damage.
He was fined £400, ordered to pay £2,848 costs, £250 legal costs and £15 victim surcharge.
In July, Wolverhampton postman Jack Kirwan, who dumped more than 100 letters in a pond and stashed others under his bed, was given a community service order by Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Post thrown away by 23-year-old Kirwan, was discovered when a water feature was drained at Northycote Farm Park.
Post Office investigators found another 138 items of mail at his home in The Scotlands.
