Former branch manager of a Post Office in Belfast who admitted stealing GBP28,000 from his employer avoids jail

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https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern ... l-2937352/

THE former branch manager of a Post Office in Belfast who admitted stealing £28,000 from his employer has avoided being sent to jail.

Judge Philip Gilpin imposed a 14-month sentence at Belfast Crown Court on Michael Rice, which was suspended for three years.

The 32-year old, from Norglen Drive in the west of the city, pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud by abuse of position over a period from October 1, 2015 to April 16, 2019.

Rice's offending emerged when auditors called in April 2019 to a post office in the city centre of Belfast where he was employed as a manager.

Addressing Rice, Judge Gilpin said: "As I understand it these were efforts made by you to balance the books in an effort to cover up a substantial discrepancy."

The matter was reported to the PSNI and when bank statetments from Rice, who was sacked, were examined, it emerged multiple credits for small amounts were made from a Post Office account over a period from October 2015 to the audit in April 2019.

Also detailed on Rice's statement were multiple payments to online gambling providers.

When he was arrested, Rice told police he was acting under a paramilitary threat to provide funds.

When Judge Gilpin asked Crown barrister Gareth Purvis is there was any evidence to back up this claim, the prosecutor said he had made enquiries and there was "nothing" by way of "police intelligence or general information."

Mr Purvis then raised the nature of the transactions which left the Post Office and said the main expenditure in Rice's bank account at the time of offending was online gambling.

Defence barrister Sean Devine said Rice has managed to raise £2,000 to pay back and said his client would continue his efforts to make repayments.

Citing Rice's offending as a breach of trust, Judge Gilpin told him: "While your offending occurred against a large commercial organisation, it is not a victimless crime and there are people and organisations that suffer because of the type of crime you took part in."

A £3,000 compensation order to be paid to the Post Office was also imposed.