A POSTMAN with over 20 years unblemished service was jailed because of a "moment of utter madness."

Blackburn magistrates heard that Brian Topping cracked under an "emotional hammering" and stole from letters.

Topping, 46, of Grindleton Road, Blackburn, admitted three charges of theft from the Royal Mail and was sentenced to eight months' jail.

Brent Patterson, prosecuting, said staff became suspicious when Topping appeared to be deviating from the approved route between Preston and Blackburn on his early morning run.

He was seen putting a black bin bag in a waste bin and this was found to contain opened postal packages.

Security staff saw Topping carry out the same routine twice more before he was questioned, and he admitted opening the packages and taking a total of £80 from them. Alan Reece, defending, said: "This is the only serious blemish on his life and one stupid moment of utter madness in over 20 years of service has cost him everything."

Mr Reece said Topping's service with the Royal Mail had been broken when he went to Ireland with his second wife and their two children.

"He gave up 20 years service to move back to his wife's homeland and took a job killing chickens," said Mr Reece.

"They had only been there a couple of months when she ran off with another man, leaving him emotionally shattered."

Topping returned to England and got a job with the Royal Mail but had not seen his two children, now aged six and four, in over two years.

"He has had two years of emotional suffering and as a result of paying £85 a week to the Child Support Agency and £20 in respect of a child from his first marriage his finances were dire," said Mr Reece.

"He eventually cracked under the strain."

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