A woman stole a Post Office van filled with parcels as they were being delivered to homes during the coronavirus lockdown, a court heard.
Keiley Dobson, 29, took her chance to drive the van away in Camberwell, south London, when it was briefly left unattended by the postie on his rounds.
When police tracked down the stolen van, Dobson and her friends had started opening the parcels, Croydon crown court heard.
She was fined £100 for breaking the government-ordered coronavirus lockdown during the incident, on April 23, and admitted stealing the Post Office van and its contents as well as driving while disqualified and without insurance.
“It’s a very serious offence, something capable of striking right at the heart of the way – even in modern times – we communicate with each other”, said Judge Peter Gower QC.
“Particularly in the Covid-19 time, an awful lot is getting delivered by post and if disrupted it could cause particular problems.”
He said Dobson “seized an opportunity” to steal the Vauxhall post van when she came across it in Denmark Road, Camberwell with the driver’s door left open.
“No doubt the postman was delivering post”, said the judge. “You drove it off and removed - with the assistance it seems from others - mail from it.
“By the time police had arrived at your address after it was reported to them that you had attended there in the stolen mail van, a number of items had already been opened by you or someone else.”
Dobson, who has 21 previous convictions for theft, was handed a two-year community order by the judge to give her a chance to kick a drug habit and “turn your life around”.
The judge banned Dobson from going to an address in South Norwood or contacting two named individuals, saying “when you are in their company it’s a disaster”, and ordered her to attend 35 rehabilitation sessions as well as a nine-month treatment programme.
Dobson, who pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance, was also banned from driving for 12 months.
She was fined £100 for breaking lockdown by the magistrates court in April.
