Legal News
Postman Stole Money from Charity, Court Hears (27 January 2012)
Date: 27/01/2012
A postman who opened charity envelopes and stole the monetary donations inside of them has told a magistrates’ court that he felt “deeply ashamed” at his behaviour. Bernard Mumbaya-Kimbing admitted stealing funds that were supposed to aid cancer and animal protection charities. The father-of-four was handed a two-month suspended jail term following being caught by surveillance teams at the Ancoats-based Manchester Mail Centre.
An investigation was launched after bosses at the Mail Centre discovered that in excess of £2,000 in donations had gone astray over a period of three years. Mr. Mumbaya-Kimbing was put on trial for the £40 stolen from the dummy envelopes and not for stealing the remainder of the donations. The defendant, who had been employed at the depot for almost four years, was caught emptying numerous charity envelopes over a period of two days. Investigators saw him take around £40 worth of £1 coins from charity envelopes that have been designed to encourage the public to bestow £3 each. The worker was later caught tearing open the dummy envelopes.
Clodagh Maguire, prosecuting, informed Manchester Magistrates’ Court that specially prepared packages had been put into circulation in the depot during the surveillance operation and that Mr. Mumbaya-Kimbing had been seen examining and popping coins from the majority of them. Mr. Mumbaya-Kimbing admitted his guilt to two counts of theft from postal packages and was handed a two-month prison sentence suspended for one year. He was also ordered to perform 250 hours’ unpaid work and to pay £500 in court costs.
Duncan Lewis’ criminal law solicitors can provide legal help to workers accused of theft.