A postman in Wales has been caught stashing 4,000 letters and parcels in his loft instead of delivering them. Jason Cooper, who worked in Hartlepool and Stockton, left the items unopened but stored them in his home in Billingham. He claimed he was overworked and had too much to deliver. Cooper was discovered when a builder doing work at his house noticed the sacks of mail in the loft and reported it to the police in 2022.
When authorities raided Cooper’s home, they found opened parcels scattered in the loft, while some letters remained untouched. Cooper, a father of three, admitted to delaying mail delivery and opening mail between 2017 and 2022. He had received warnings about his poor time-keeping and mail scanning while working as a postman. Cooper was subsequently fired from his job after his arrest.
The court heard that the undelivered mail, which included 613 “door-to-door” items, had been accumulating dust in the loft for eight months. The Post Office had to compensate for the undelivered items, resulting in additional costs. Cooper’s lawyer mentioned that he now takes care of his three children while his wife works, and losing his job has been a significant consequence for him.
Despite the serious nature of his actions, Cooper received a suspended 12-month prison sentence and was ordered to perform 200 hours of unpaid work. The judge warned him that any further trouble within the next two years would result in the sentence being activated. Cooper was reminded that as a trusted postman, he had a responsibility to deliver the mail promptly and faithfully.
The incident serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of neglecting one’s duties, especially in a position of trust like that of a postman. Both the Post Office and the public rely on postal workers to deliver mail efficiently and responsibly. Cooper’s case highlights the importance of upholding such trust and the repercussions of failing to do so.