£4,000 bill for Walsall postal worker in cash theft

Swinder Singh Dhillon was responsible for looking after money collected from members of the public as payment for postal services at the main Royal Mail delivery office in Walsall town centre.

Mr John Dove, prosecuting at Walsall Magistrates Court, said part of Dhillon's role in the cashier's office included collating money from staff after customers had been to the office with a surcharge card.

That is given to customers who have to pay additional costs to receive a letter or post, for reasons such as underpaid postage.

The cash is then put into a red cost tin to be sent on to another Royal Mail department.

However, there were no checks on 'surcharge cards' so no-one else was able to check how many had been handed in.

An investigation was launched though after bosses because suspicious about the cash.

This involved cash notes being marked with ultra violet and a symbol put on coins without the knowledge of Dhillon.

The 64-year-old was said to have kept £165.81 for himself, with money found in his wallet and jacket.

Dhillon, of Skip Lane, Walsall, denied theft by an employee on December 23 last year but was convicted after a two-day trial.

He was sentenced to a community order with 120 hours unpaid work along with an order to cover court and investigation costs.

During interview he denied stealing or preparing to steal and said he had not been caught trying to leave the premises.

He claimed he would often replace coins with his own notes, and take money from the callers office and put it in the tin before the shift finished.

Dhillon, who has since retired, was told to pay a total of £4,178 which included investigation and court costs along with the unpaid work.

Mr Fergal Bloomer, defending, asked magistrates to give consideration to the number of hours for the order.

They agreed to go along with a pre-sentence report.