Blackburn postman convicted of stealing packets (From Blackburn Citizen)

Blackburn postman convicted of stealing packets

4:00pm Friday 22nd March 2013 in Blackburn By Andrew Bellard, Court reporter

A postman was caught stealing from the mail after investigators ‘planted’ three gift cards and set up a covert surveillance operation.

Blackburn magistrates heard Barrie Sean Leadley left the Blackburn sorting office with 10 postal packets, including the three planted packets, and when he was stopped two and a half hours later they were all still in his possession and intact.

Richard Prew, defending, said his client, who had a previously unblemished record, had intended to return them to the depot. Leadley, 39, of Cravens Heath, Blackburn, was convicted after a trial of theft from the Royal Mail Group Limited. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, ordered to do 180 hours unpaid work and pay £230 costs.

Mark Phillips, prosecuting, said none of the 10 packages taken by Leadley were from his own round.

“The post office say this was a targeted theft with an element of pre-planning,” said Mr Phillips. Mr Prew said Leadley had worked for the Post Office for 18 years and had an unblemished record. He said the night before the incident Leadley had rowed with his wife and had sat up all night before going to work.

“The row was about many things including money,” said Mr Prew. “When he got to work the following morning he did something which was extremely out of character and took the packets out of the mail. “His argument at trial was that he was going to return the packages but you colleagues rejected that and found him guilty of theft at the moment he left the sorting office.”

Mr Prew said Leadley had resigned from his job at the Post Office.

“He is racked with remorse for his actions that morning,” said Mr Prew.