A postman stored above 31,000 undelivered parcels and letters at his home - because he was too drunken to absolute his rounds.
Steve Tasker, 43, hoarded the "amazing" compilation at his home. For equal above three years at his house and kept almost 16,000 mail items in or following his garden shed.
Tasker also enfolded the letters in plastic Farm Foods mover bags to try and keep them dry because he asserted he would deliver them once he had sobered up,
But Burnley Crown Court, Lancs was told he not at all got round to taking the post to its equitable destinations, in its place he pocketed at least £200 sent as gifts in cards, including money meant for an 18th birthday.
Tasker, then a postman for 12 years, was finally put under observation by the Royal Mail last September, after complaints from the people about mail not being distributed.
On the day he was watched, he didn't begin on his walk up till now noon at the initial, ended about 2pm and had left over 300 packets undelivered.
He afterward acknowledged he had left the Post Office at about 9am and had then made some shopping, gone home for his breakfast, had some cider, been to the bookies and was drunk.
The trial was told Tasker, an asthmatic, had a "harder time" at home, looking after his wife and daughter who are both disabled, almost single-handedly- which may have been why he drank too much.
It price the Royal Mail £1,530 to separate all the undelivered postal packets and at last send them to the genuine recipients.
Tasker, of Burnley, acknowledged intrusive with mail between March 2007 and September 2010, hurt, and theft between August and September last year.
He was given 32 weeks in imprisonment, suspended for a year, with 12 months supervision and alcohol treatment and the Thinking Skills program.
John Gibson, investigating for the Royal Mail, said last September 15, Tasker was put under observation. At about 4.30pm, officials went to a pouch box and found 331 packets of post he was supposed to have delivered that day still there.
Officials, with his contract went to search his house and locate a "huge interference” with mail.
In the property were 15,253 postal packets, some on top of the fridge and some of them dating back to March 2007. An additional 15,831 packets were found in the garden shed or behind it, in a bin. At least 1,000 items were water destroyed. A sum of 43 greetings card-type letters had been unfasten, between last August and September.
Mr. Gibson said Tasker was talked and said he had been endeavoring because of his health. The investigator said the Royal Mail would say he had been observed on light duties after his coming back from being off illness, had been controlled and had been found to be fit enough to make deliveries.
Mr. Gibson said the defendant told officers he had difficulties at home. He said he had from time to time drunk surplus to be able to do his round and he would sometimes have a few pints before he arrived for work at 6am.
He told officials he recognized what he had made in opening mail was incorrect, but he had possibly been drunk at the time and had no money.
The court was told the defendant had an assurance for theft from his owner in 1994, which was spent by the time he functional to work as a postman.
Mark Stuart, for Tasker, said the largest part of the post was unopened. He had certainly had a drink problem, health complications, family obligations and had been endeavoring to tackle.
His wife had cerebral palsy, epilepsy and a weakness on one side of her body. Their daughter was disabled and gone to a special school.
The Royal Mail recognized about his alcohol problem, a meeting had been arranged and he had efficiently been told to drink coffee and not alcohol before work. Mr. Stuart said Tasker had planned to deliver the mail at some point. The barrister further said "But, tomorrow never came." Ruling Tasker, the judge Mr Recorder Phillip Grundy said :"You, as a postman, were in a observable position of confidence. We, as members of the public, believed you."
"But if I were to imprison you, that would sentence your wife and daughter and fairly with honest, they would fight. I am giving you an opportunity. It's having had the advantage of observing you in court and looking your wife. That has argued me to suspend the punishment.''
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