Postman hides 4,000 letters in attic because he had ‘too many bags to deliver’

A postman has avoided jail after stashing thousands of letters and parcels in his attic because there were “too many” to deliver.

Some parcels were even found opened but with contents untouched, scattered across the eaves when police raided Jason Cooper’s home in Billingham, County Durham.

Cooper, who served areas in Hartlepool and Stockton, claimed he was swamped with work and had too much on his delivery rounds.

The dad-of-three faced Teesside Crown Court on Monday, where the 30-year-old admitted to delaying postal delivery and opening mail from 2017 to 2022, just shy of his trial date. A twist in the tale emerged in 2022 when a workman, upon visiting Cooper’s property, stumbled upon the hidden mail stash. After snapping photos, he confronted Cooper, who feigned ignorance and questioned: “Should I get rid of it?”

Cooper neglected to deliver a staggering 4,000 items, including 613 “door-to-door” pieces which earn the Post Office extra revenue, and for which Cooper would have received additional payment, reports Teesside Live.

The court in Middlesbrough was informed that the dust-laden mail had languished in the loft for eight months, with the undelivered items dating back to between 2020 and 2021. Following his move from Hartlepool to Billingham, Cooper had taken the undelivered sacks with him.

The workman alerted the authorities after witnessing suspicious activity, leading to a search at Cooper’s residence. The police found opened packages and undisturbed bank cards within his home.

Upon apprehension and during his interview, Cooper attributed his actions to being overwhelmed with “too many bags to deliver”. Previously chastised for tardiness and neglecting to scan letters, Cooper’s tenure as a postman from 2017 ended when he was fired following his arrest.

Compensation payouts by the Post Office were triggered by customer complaints over the undelivered mail, the court learned.

In Cooper’s defence, Shaun Dryden emphasised that his client, now responsible for his three children with the toddler as the youngest, faced unemployment consequences: “He lost his job as a result of this,” stated Mr Dryden, adding, “and it’s unlikely he will trouble the court again.”

However, Judge Richard Thomas reminded Cooper of the severe view historically held towards postal theft by stating: “The days are not long gone, where a postman who stole one letter – let alone hundreds or thousands, would go to prison, full stop. In 2024, sentencing guidelines changed and it would be damaging to your family and those young children, if I send you down.”

But he also acknowledged the reformed 2024 sentencing guidelines, considering the adverse impact incarceration could have on Cooper’s family and young children before declaring: “You were employed as a postman. Seemingly you weren’t the best of workers. You knew full well that you were trusted by the public, and your employers, to deliver the mail.”

Cooper, from The Green in Billingham, received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

The judge warned him: “You may be breathing a sigh of relief and thinking that’s it,” but cautioned, “but if you get into any trouble in the next two years – a fight in the pub or anything – this sentence will come into effect.”