A CASUAL postman who dumped hundreds of letters and packages on his third day at work because he was “fed up” walked free from court on Wednesday.

James Sillifant was given a three-year community rehabilitation order after impressing a judge with efforts to turn his life around.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the 20-year-old was already subject to a similar order for other making off without paying when he stole the mail.

Sillifant, who was employed by Royal Mail at Sittingbourne through a recruitment agency, was on May 10 spotted by a member of the public throwing bundles of mail into bushes in Oak Road, Murston.

Ian Stebbings, prosecuting, said police and the delivery manager went to the scene, searched the wasteland and found about nine bundles of mail.

It was discovered it had been assigned to Sillifant to deliver in the Oak Road area. He was arrested when he went to his agency the next day.

A search of his room at The Quay hostel in Sittingbourne revealed two Royal Mail pouches containing a total of 659 packages. Three empty packets were found in a bin liner containing clothes. Officers also discovered in a bedside cabinet a credit card which had not been received by a customer.

At the rear of the hostel was a guitar case containing seven DVDs and two CDS, which had also been stolen from the mail.

Sillifant admitted dumping the post. “As he put it, he was fed up and wanted to go home,” said Mr Stebbings. “He admitted meeting the delivery driver and taking a further two packets home with him, rather than delivering them.”

Sillifant, of Meyrick Road, Sheerness, admitted five charges of theft. He had a number of convictions for burglary and making off without payment.

Rupert Bowers, defending, said there was a stark difference between the man in court and the man who committed the “crass” offences.

He obtained casual work at the post office after being made redundant at Sheerness docks. He lost his accommodation because the benefits agency had not paid the landlord. Mr Bowers said Sillifant found himself in the hostel with drug addicts, alcoholics and persistent offenders.

He said: “Because of this, he found himself spiralling into depression. By the time of these offences he was at a very low ebb indeed, not knowing what the future held for him and seeing no way out of it.”

Sillifant, he said, had since moved back in with his mother and now had a job with a marketing company in charge of a sales team.

Judge David Caddick said the offences were extremely serious. “Even though all the property was recovered, the fact is they were committed when you were working for Royal Mail as a postman and were, therefore, in a position of trust,” he said.

But the judge said he had asked himself whether it was necessary to send Sillifant to prison. He was impressed, he said, with a statement Sillifant had written to him and with references.

Judge Caddick added: “Not many men of 20 could produce a document like the statement of their own accord. I can see why your managers and superiors want to promote you in your new job.”

Sillifant was also ordered to attend a Home Office accredited Think First programme and pay £816 costs.