Royal Mail worker stole packages

Mar 4 2010 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

A FORMER Royal Mail worker has been labelled “fortunate” after she avoided a prison sentence for stealing Christmas presents at a Livingston mail centre.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard how Amy Gourlay was working at the Royal Mail Christmas Outhouse at Deans Industrial Unit in December 2008.

Gourlay’s job was to sort through thousands of packages being posted at Christmas to addresses across the UK.

Fiscal depute Claire Martin told Livingston Sheriff Court that on December 15 a member of Royal Mail’s area management team saw the 21-year-old hide two postal packets on her person.

“Shortly later, she opened a package and removed its contents before discarding the package,” Ms Martin said. “At this point the management team invited her to attend an interview in the manager’s office. During the interview she admitted to the theft of two postal packages she had handled as part of her duties earlier that day.

“The accused gave permission for searches to be carried out of her clothing and also of her home address.

“During the search of her person staff found a jewellery box, a keyring and an i-Pod shuffle, which had been stolen from one from the mishandled packages.”

A search of her home address revealed two other stolen items, including a gift certificate worth £163.20 for the store Next.

Gourlay cooperated with police and gave them information about a male at the sorting office who would be able to assist them with their enquiries.

Last week at the court Gourlay, formerly of Waverley Place, Bathgate, pleaded guilty to the theft of the packages. She had originally appeared in October last year but sentence was deferred because she was pregnant.

Her solicitor, Alan Jackson, told the court last week that although his client was unable to do community service because she now has a young child to care for, she could be subject to a restriction of liberty order.

“Although this is a serious matter it would give her credit for her cooperation with the authorities,” Mr Jackson said.

“She accepts the seriousness of the matter and does not seek to minimise her involvement – it was not to support a particular need at that time.

“This offence is a breach of her position of trust and she accepts that the court will take a very serious view, but it seems from her report that she has attempted to turn her life around.”

Electronically tagging Gourlay for four months, Sheriff Douglas Kinloch said: “You are perhaps fortunate in that you were not immediately given a prison sentence for these offences of stealing packages while you were working for the Royal Mail.

“The sheriff that day possibly took into account that you were pregnant when you appeared before the court for sentence and that you had no previous convictions.

“Nevertheless it is a serious charge and you were fortunate to escape without custody.

“With no prison sentence having been imposed then, I do not feel it is appropriate now as you have kept out of trouble since you appeared in court.

“I had in mind a community service order to get you to put something back into the community you stole from. However, that is not available so it will be a restriction of liberty order for four months. This period of time takes into account that it is a direct alternative to custody.”