North East postman hid 12 sacks of letters in loft after being given 'too many bags' to deliver

Jason Cooper, 30, stashed 12 sacks of mail containing 4,000 letters and parcels in his loft. He opened some of the parcels, but left the contents intact. Opened parcels were found scattered across the eaves of the loft, when police raided his Billingham home in 2022

A postman hoarded 12 sacks of undelivered mail, containing around 4,000 letters and parcels, in his loft, a court has heard.

Jason Cooper, who worked across Hartlepool and Stockton, admitted to opening some of the parcels but left the contents untouched. The opened packages were discovered strewn about the eaves of his loft when police searched his Billingham home in 2022.

Cooper claimed he was overburdened with work and had too much to deliver.

The father-of-three faced Teesside Crown Court on Monday for sentencing. The 30-yea- old had previously entered guilty pleas to charges of delaying the delivery of mail and opening mail from 2017 to 2022, just before his trial was set to commence.

In 2022, a tradesman, called to Cooper's property, noticed the mail sacks in the loft and took photographs. He then confronted Cooper as he was leaving the house, reports Teesside Live.

Cooper feigned ignorance, saying he "didn't know anything about it" and questioned, "should I get rid of it? ".

The court was informed that Cooper had neglected to deliver 4,000 items, including letters, parcels, and leaflets, among which were 613 "door-to-door" items that earn the Post Office extra revenue. Cooper would have received additional payment for these deliveries on top of his regular salary.

It was revealed to the Middlesbrough court that the mail, now covered in dust, had been in the loft for eight months. The undelivered items were sent between 2020 and 2021.

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After moving from Hartlepool to Billingham, Cooper had taken the undelivered sacks with him.

The workman alerted the police after seeing something suspicious, leading them to search Cooper's house. They found open parcels and letters, but bank cards remained untouched inside.

During his arrest, Cooper explained that the workload was excessive stating he had been given "too many bags to deliver". Since 2017, Cooper had faced issues with his performance as a postman, including poor punctuality and failing to scan letters, which ultimately led to his dismissal following his arrest.

The Post Office found itself compensating for undelivered mail after several complaints were lodged.

Defence solicitor Shaun Dryden mentioned that Cooper is now the primary carer for his three kids, with the youngest being a toddler, as his wife works. "He lost his job as a result of this," Mr Dryden noted, "and it's unlikely he will trouble the court again."

Judge Richard Thomas addressed Cooper in court, highlighting the gravity of his offences: "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."

"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, and was ordered to 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."