Postman jailed for hoarding mail

Gordon was jailed for hoarding thousands of items of mail

A postman who complained his Christmas delivery bags were too heavy has been jailed for three months for hoarding thousands of items of mail.

Robert Gordon, 31, from Shieldhill in Falkirk, was found with over 3,500 items of post stuffed into the boost of his car.

He was also found to have stolen 24 items, including money from greeting cards and a Playstation game.

He was discovered after residents in Falkirk complained about lost post.

Falkirk Sheriff Court was told that he had taken up the part-time position delivering mail to 525 houses in the Falkirk area, despite having left a previous job due to osteoarthritis.

Fiscal depute Zaid Hassan said Gordon was discovered after bosses at Royal Mail noticed a marked increase in complaints from residents in the run up to Christmas 2006.

The public are entitled to rely on the Royal Mail and expect that items placed in their care will be received and looked after safely Sheriff William Gallacher

He added: "On the date in question the accused's car was checked, and when they opened the boot they discovered what appeared to be a large quantity of unopened mail.

"These were dated over several months.

"He made admissions to an investigating team, and said he was suffering from depression and stress."

'Great gravity'

Gordon pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to intentionally delaying 3,506 postal packets, and stealing a further 24 that were in the course of transmission between 1 April 2006 and 17 January 2008.

Defence agent William McIntyre said his client routinely had to carry four or five bags of mail a day.

He added: "It was a lot of heavy lifting and was causing him great problems.

"Most of this offending took place in December when mail was getting heavier and he was finding it more difficult.

"He was only supposed to work 25 hours a week - but at this time it was taking him 10 hours extra every week."

Jailing Gordon for three months, Sheriff William Gallacher told the first offender he had "breached his position of trust".

He said: "These are charges of great gravity.

"The public are entitled to rely on the Royal Mail and expect that items placed in their care will be received and looked after safely.

"As someone employed by them you were trusted to ensure that happened.

"I am satisfied that custody is the only way to mark this offence to you and to others."