Former postman failed to deliver post in Portlaoise

A former postman appeared before Portlaoise District Court for failing to deliver mail.

William Conroy, 42, of 44 Grenville, Dublin Road, Portlaoise was accused of six counts of making gain or causing loss to another at An Post Depot, Fr Brown Avenue, Portlaoise between January 1, 2020 and June 13, 2022. He faced a further five charges of preventing the delivery of post between December 1, 2020 and September 20, 2022. 

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said her client had brought €2,000 for Merchants Quay addiction services. 

“This is a gentleman who met this prosecution square on, pleaded at an early date,” she explained. 

She said he has been working with Merchants Quay and has proof of clean urine samples for the court to show he was no longer using drugs. She said the man had “understandably” lost his job as a result of the incident. 

Judge Andrew Cody noted the charges all essentially related to “deception” in relation to undelivered post.

Ms Fitzpatrick said that while there would have been “huge inconvenience” as a result, her client hadn’t made any gain in relation to the incidents. She said a lot of the undelivered mail was publicity post and flyers.

“Of the 215 people that were on his route only two made a complaint,” she told the court. 

Judge Andrew Cody noted the €2,000 had been paid. He sentenced the man to three months suspended for two years on two of the charges and took the rest of the matters into consideration.