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A Royal Mail worker this week admitted to stealing people’s post – but he’s not the only one to commit the cruel crime in our region.
Mark Foster, of Park Street, St Helens, is the latest person to be convicted of rifling through private post and taking items.
The 39-year-old admitted he stole mobile phones and high value electronic items, and brazenly stole 17 postal packets containing items worth up to £7,038.
He will be sentenced on March 12 for his crimes.
Here are other delivery drivers and postmen who have abused their position of trust within our communites.
Stephen Robert Crosby
Stephen Robert Crosby stole post intended for Liverpool Football Club after he racked up £14,000 in gambling debts.
The Halewood postman also stole birthday cards sent by members of the public and an Amazon Kindle tablet.
He committed the crimes after working for the Royal Mail for 13 years.
When challenged on October 9, 2014, he admitted taking 144 pre-paid envelopes, as well as stealing the Kindle from a postbag marked return to sender.
He also confessed to taking five greeting cards that day, which were in his pocket.
The envelope addressed to Liverpool Football Club was found in his house, minus its contents.
Crosby received a four month prison sentence suspended for two years.
Michael Easton
(Image: Royal Mail)
Michael Easton ended up stealing a woman’s cancer results during his spree of taking post.
The postman was desperately looking for cash to steal and was jailed for 10 months last February.
The 47-year-old ended up stealing the woman’s cancer results, correspondence from her employer and a condolence card to another woman whose sister had died.
Another victim did not receive a letter from her solicitors over civil proceedings. A cheque for a share certificate also went missing.
When he was approached by Royal Mail investigators he said: “I’ve taken the mail in the sack and I’ve been doing it for the last few months.”
His van was searched and 65 undelivered items were discovered from that day, September 20 last year, while he was also carrying £55 in cash and 50 Euros.
Why we’re doing this story – We have a mix of stories, many of them hugely positive about the city. We will not though, ignore crime as it impacts on many lives.
In deciding which crimes to write about, we consider a range of issues including the severity of the crime, the threat to public safety and the wider context in which it happened. We do not seek to glamorise crime or criminals, rather to shine a spotlight on what is happening in our city.
All our stories are compiled using a mix of reporting from the scene, background knowledge and experience, information from the police and our reporter contacts.
Anything else you need to know – The Liverpool Echo has a dedicated crime reporter in Joe Thomas. You can email Joe via joe.thomas@reachplc.com
Thanks for reading. if you want to ask us any more questions about what the Liverpool Echo does, please email neil.macdonald01@reachplc.com
A search of his home revealed 2,572 mail items, including 107 greetings cards which had been opened.
Easton, who had been employed as a postman for 12 years at New Ferry, pleaded guilty to three charges of theft, intentionally delaying the delivery of more than 1,700 items, opening mail and one of criminal damage.
Rebecca Smith, defending, had told the court that Easton had suffered serious knee injuries in a motor cycle accident some years ago which led to him using Tramadol and cocaine.
She told the court he developed a “low level addiction”, which led to him taking out loans and eventually start stealing to fund his habit.
John Bentley
(Image: PA)
Dad-of-five John Bentley stole bank cards from the mail.
The 43-year-old, from Birkenhead, was told by Judge Denis Watson QC: “You have abused your job”.
“The institution of the Post Office, in one shape or another, has existed for just short of 500 years.
“It is an institution which relies on the honesty and integrity of its employees who are trusted to deliver and handle items of sensitivity and value.
“The breach of trust in stealing from the mail is one of the most serious breaches of trust that someone can commit.”
The court heard, in 2015, how Bentley had 13 years experience as a postman and therefore knew how to detect envelopes with cards inside.
He had stolen the bank cards to try and resolve his debt problem.
He was jailed for eight months.
Lawrence Hegarty
Lawrence Hegarty stole 60 cards a week from Wallasey sorting office, in Wirral, over a 12-month-period.
It’s estimated he stole around 1,000 greetings cards to plunder the cash inside.
He was caught in a £9,000 investigation by Royal Mail bosses was launched after numerous complaints from the public.
Liverpool crown court heard in 2013 that when investigators checked his frame they found 36 greeting card envelopes, and a search of his clothing recovered £70 in English and £10 in Irish banknotes, 200 Norwegian kroner and 50 Australian dollars.
Ben Jones, prosecuting, told how a subsequent search of his home in Liscard Grove, Wallasey, uncovered 15 cards containing £280 cash and 50 Australian dollars.
Quentin Neil, defending, told how the 62-year-old, who had worked for Royal Mail for 12 years, stole the cash because of financial difficulties.
Judge Alan Conrad QC gave Hegarty a 36-week prison sentence suspended for two years on account of Hegarty’s age and previous good character.
Stephen Hacking
And a Wirral delivery driver, Stephen Hacking stole parcels that weer meant to be people’s Christmas presents.
In February 2018, Hacking appeared in Liverpool Crown Court charged with three counts of theft and one count of opening post illegally.
Hacking, of Cobham Road, Moreton, admitted the four counts which took place in December 2015 while he worked for Parcelforce.
He stole items such as boxes of shoes, wine, a mobile phone and perfume in the run-up to Christmas.
Hacking claimed items were taken “when he had left the van open” and claimed someone must have set him up as he was new to the job, before backtracking and offering a guilty plea.
Judge Neil Flewitt, QC said: “What you did was an appalling breach in trust not only to your employers but members of the public using the service.”
Judge Flewitt QC ordered Hacking a 10-month suspended sentence provided he takes part in rehabilitation activity, including a thinking skills program, and sticks to a curfew.
Hacking was also ordered to pay costs of £9,252.
