Richard Kell, of Newcastle, said he sold the £1,500 handsets for £100 each
Newcastle Crown Court(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
A courier sold iPhones worth more than £50,000 which he was being paid to deliver to customers. DHL received complaints that 34 iPhone 16 pro max handsets had not been received by people who ordered them.
Newcastle Crown Court heard investigations revealed it was driver Richard Kell who should have made the deliveries and he was questioned about the missing phones. Kell initially claimed he had made the deliveries but then confessed he had sold them to someone for £100 each, making a profit of £3,400 for himself.Prosecutor Neil Pallister told the court it was in February last year when DHL was made aware of the missing phones. Mr Pallister said: “Customers had complained those phones had not been delivered and it was established that the driver who would have delivered the phones in that area was Richard Kell.”He was invited in for interview about the phones which had gone missing and initially he stated he had delivered the phones but very quickly changed his mind and explained he had been approached by a male at one of the addresses in Newcastle.”It would appear he agreed that he would supply the phones to him or his associates and in return for handing over the phones he would be paid £100 per phone. Inquiries revealed 34 phones had been stolen by the defendant, which he accepted. Each phone was worth over £1,500 and the total loss was £52,326.”
Kell, 40, of Hedgehope Road, Newcastle, admitted theft by employee and was sentenced to 18 month, suspended for two years, with 250 hours unpaid work.Recorder Tony Hawks told him: “I don’t know what you thought you were doing, you told the probation officer you got into debt, well you don’t solve your problems by resorting to dishonesty.”
The court heard he has no convictions for dishonesty, handed in character references and has new employment.