- Joined
- May 26, 2014
- Messages
- 258
- Points
- 0
Thieving postman caught by iPad tracking device in Royal Mail sting
Postman Andrew Barratt is jailed for 15 months after admitting stealing thousands of pounds of electrical items from his round in Stockport and selling them on eBay
Andrew Barratt, 49, was jailed for 15 months at Minshull Street Crown Court after pleading guilty to theft and converting criminal property Photo: Greater Manchester Police
By Martin Evans, Crime Correspondent
11:29AM GMT 26 Jan 2015
A postman who stole £15,000 worth of parcels and sold them on eBay, was caught when Royal Mail investigators put a tracking device on an iPad and traced it to his home.
Andrew Barratt, 49, stole around 400 packages including sat navs, digital cameras and computer games, while on his round.
He and his wife, Michelle, 49, then sold the items online, taking in £15,482 in just two years.
But the scam was uncovered when Royal Mail bosses became suspicious about the number of items that were not being delivered on his round.
Investigators fitted a tracking device to an iPad and posted it to an address on Barratt’s round.
When it did not arrive at its delivery address, the tracking device was activated and the missing iPad was located at Barratt’s home in Stockport.
Police were called when he refused to allow Royal Mail officials into his home and subsequently discovered a large amount of electrical equipment, including the iPad hidden in his neighbour’s hedge.
Mr Barratt, who had been a postman for 14 years, was jailed for 15 months after admitting theft and converting criminal property.
His wife was given 120 hours unpaid work after pleading guilty to converting criminal property.
Judge Leslie Hull said: "The pair of you have involved yourselves in a thoroughly dishonest scheme."
Most of the items had been sent out by Amazon – which had reported around 2,000 lost packages in the postcodes where Barratt worked.
An eBay account under the name 'ShellB76' run by Mrs Barratt was found to have sold 463 items – most of them electrical goods – since June 2010. Their retail value was almost £21,000.
Two of the items – a camcorder and a Sony Walkman – had been reported stolen to police.
She told detectives she had bought the items at car boot sales, despite the fact many of the sales were computer games which had been released just days earlier.
The couple eventually pleaded guilty on the day of their trial.
Defending Mr Barratt, Milena Bennett said he had stolen the goods while 'self-medicating' psoriasis with cannabis and amphetamines.
A Royal Mail spokesman confirmed Barratt was sacked and said they seek to prosecute any members of staff who tampers with mail.
He said: "Royal Mail has a zero tolerance approach to any dishonesty and that stance is shared by the overwhelming majority of postmen and women."
