Postie who hid letters in his house avoids a jail sentence

Published on Saturday 11 October 2008 12:54

A POSTMAN has avoided jail after stashing more than 1000 letters in his house.

Scott Hamilton, 30, claimed he was under "considerable stress" and was struggling with his round.

He insisted he was still "a good postie", but was sacked by Royal Mail and is now about to start a job as a bus driver.

Hamilton was fined 1000 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, with Sheriff Derrick McIntyre telling him: "This was a breach of trust and you didn't handle the stress very well."

Hamilton blamed his inability to cope with pressure on a car accident that happened over a decade ago, when he lapsed into a coma for 13 days.

Over six months between April and October last year, Hamilton hid 1500 letters in his car before taking them to his home in Gorebridge, Midlothian.

A member of the public spotted the pile of unopened letters and alerted staff at the Musselburgh sorting office.

Investigators found he had stashed the mail under an old carpet near his front door. Hamilton admitted the post was meant to be put through doors in Wallyford, East Lothian, but said he was too busy to get round to it.

During a police interview, Hamilton, who worked for Royal Mail for six years, said: "I'm quite a good postie. I do all the hours God sends. I was just under pressure."

Both Hamilton and the Royal Mail were to blame, according to Sheriff McIntyre. He said: "

There's no question the packets had been interfered with, so I'll deal with it by way of a fine."