The dopey crook

Sunderland - A serial criminal, dubbed one of the worst in East Durham, was caught red-handed as he tried to cash a Giro cheque belonging to someone else. The dopey crook was so well known at his local post office that suspicions were immediately raised and his face captured on CCTV.

Now Steven Bellerby – one of only 10 criminals in the district labelled a Persistent Prolific Offender by police – has been jailed.

Peterlee magistrates heard how the 23-year-old used a spark plug to smash the window of a postman's Vauxhall Corsa parked in Warren Street, Horden, and took a bag of mail back to a friend's home where he rifled through the contents.

Bellerby, of Eleventh Street, discovered a letter containing a tax credit giro cheque made out to Stacey Drewett, and signed his name on the back instead.

"This particular part of the incident is unimpressive, to say the least," said solicitor Jaxon Taylor in mitigation. "He goes into somewhere he is known by the postmistress, and is fitted with CCTV. He then has a conversation with her about the giro cheque, which is not in his name but has his signature on it."

Mr Taylor said the postmistress cashed the £45.36 cheque as no-one would have been so stupid to do what Bellerby did, because if it was a false claim there would be no doubt who was responsible. "He accepts it was a deception he was never going to get away with," he added.

Bellerby admitted theft from a Royal Mail vehicle, opening post and making false representation on August 30.

"The defendant has a history of dishonesty offences," said prosecutor Lyndsey Armstrong.

Bellerby spent the giro money on booze and cigarettes. The postbag and contents were later recovered from a shed by Durham Police.