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Jail for gang
Page 21
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in Vim parcels fiddle THE OPERATORS of a fiddle at British Rail and British Road Services parcels depots who got away with goods worth £250,000 were sentenced to terms of imprisonment of between 15 and 30 months at the Old Bailey last week.
They took part in "the sticking game," said Mr Michael Sherrard, QC, prosecuting. The ring-leaders were two brothers, John and Richard Pickard, who were employed at depots in London.
They kept stocks of labels on which they had printed a false name and an address used as a pick-up point.
When consignments that seemed valuable arrived at the depots, the labels were stuck over the genuine names and addresses of the sender and consignee and the parcel was left to take its normal course in the delivery system.
Thus the facilities of British Rail and British Road Services were used for delivering the goods to premises rented by the gangleaders under false names.
Dishonest handlers collected the goods and sold them as bargains in pubs and on market stalls.
British Transport Police estimated the value of the goods stolen in those two years to be at least £250,000, said Mr Sherrard.
"That is to say nothing of the number of consignors who no longer have confidence in the services and are not prepared to use them for fear of losing their goods."
Det Chief Insp. Peter McKerral, of the British Transport Police, said 870 parcels were delivered to the various "pick up" addresses.
British Rail bore the brunt of the estimated loss. The fiddle was so ingenious, he said, that it was difficult to detect, despite close security.
"Had it continued for another six months, I doubt whether we could have discovered it at all, because the system would have been perfected," he said. "The labels used were extremely good and very convincing."
In the dock were Mark Anthony Ayton, 26, a decorator, of Bolton Road, Hornsey, North London; Joseph King, 42, a general dealer, of Steilman Close, Clapton, North London; Greville Penfold, 26, a haulage contractor, of Catherine Gardens, Hainault, Essex; Raymond Guest, 27, unemployed, of Cannonbury Court, Islington, North London; Michael Sackman, 29, of Southmoor Way, Homerton, East London; and Richard Pickard, 21, unemployed, of Woodland Gardens. Muswell Hill.
John Pickard, 21, a general trader, who was alleged to have been the "mastermind," of Woodland Gardens, Muswell Hill, failed to appear for trial and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Richard Pickard, who admitted conspiring with others to receive stolen goods and four charges of theft involving goods worth £1,345, was sentenced to 30 months jail. Sackman, who admitted three charges of handling stolen goods, was sentenced to 18 months concurrent on each charge.
King and Penfold, who admitted conspiring to receive stolen goods and handling, got 18 months.
Guest, who admitted one charge of conspiring to receive and two of dishonest handling, was sentenced to 15 months concurrent on each count. Ayton admitted conspiring to receive stolen goods and handling stolen goods and was jailed for 15 months.
Passing sentence, Judge Grant, QC, said it was a fraud on a very large scale.
"These services are an essential part of the industrial and commercial life of this country. This fraud really amounted to an attack on these parcel services."
He said he regarded Richard Pickard as the central figure. The others had played a minor part, but an important one.