Postman nailed by the law

Geddes failed to take mail back to his depot

A lazy postman suffering from an ingrowing toenail took mail home and dumped it inside a wardrobe, a court has been told.

Martin Geddes was in such discomfort that he decided not to take the letters and parcels back to his depot. Instead, he took them home.

At Paisley Sheriff Court, Geddes, 21, admitted the theft of postal packages between 22 December last year and 30 January.

He was ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service, which was said by the sheriff to be a direct alternative to imprisonment.

The case was heard at Paisley Sheriff Court

The court heard that Geddes had tried unsuccessfully to return the mail he had failed to deliver the day after it should have gone through letter boxes.

However, he found there was no provision to return packages to his depot beyond the actual day of delivery.

Solicitor advocate Maurice Smyth said he was forced in the circumstances to take the packets back home, landing him with an enormous dilemma.

Geddes opened several packages but it was stressed that nothing had been taken.

Investigators found more than 100 envelopes and packages spilling from the piece of furniture. Almost 70 other undelivered items were found elsewhere in the house.

Depute fiscal Keiran Dean told Sheriff George Kavanagh: "When questioned, he told police it was negligence - just laziness."