Town postie stole mail, court rules (From Warrington Guardian)

Town postie stole mail, court rules

A FORMER postman who delivered in Winsford faces a possible prison sentence after he was found guilty of opening mail and stealing its contents.

Barry David Hough, 20, of Sandown Close, Middlewich, was convicted of theft from three envelopes addressed to homes on Dart Walk and Severn Walk when he appeared before magistrates at Northwich last week.

Lachlan Nesbet, prosecuting on behalf of Royal Mail, told the court how on March 18 this year investigating officers from Royal Mail searched Hough's car after he had finished his shift and discovered three opened items.

Mr Nesbet said the envelopes were missing their contents - now known to be three wristbands.

He added: "One remains unaccounted for, another was recovered from the car and a third was being worn by Hough at the time of the search."

Under cross examination Hough denied opening the envelopes and said he had found them in a damaged state but didn't have a chance to report his find or take them back to the depot.

Mr Nesbet pointed out that in one of the statements he had read to the court Hough described his explanation for how the packages came to be damaged as 'sounding pathetic'.

Hough agreed but said he stood by his recollection of events - that an elastic band holding the bundle together had caused the envelopes to rip open when he removed them for delivery.

Chris Johnson, defending, said: "Wristbands of this type are ubiquitous and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that by coincidence my client was wearing one purchased from elsewhere."

He added that the prosecution had failed to prove that Hough had opened the items of mail and taken their contents.

Chairman of the bench Keith Oakes told Hough: "Your evidence is full of inconsistencies.

"What is not in dispute is that all items of mail were intact when you began your round and those in question were damaged in your care.

"We believe you opened the packages and took the items from inside with the intention of permanently depriving the owners of them."

Magistrates told Hough they were keeping all options open, including committal to crown court for sentencing, before granting him unconditional bail to appear again on September 14.