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Reference C48/3/04
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Crime Department
Criminal Justice Branch
Kuocknagoney House
Knocknagoney Road
BELFAST
BT4 2PP
January 2004
SUBJECT: ALLEGED THEFT BY SUB POST MISTRESS MRS MAUREEN
McKELVEY AT THE CLANABOGAN POST OFFICE IN OMAGH
R -v- MRS MAUREEN McKELVEY
Legal Registrar
This file refers tw a theft from the post office over a considerable period of
time and > the defendant makes no admission regarding th thefts I
feel that 1s. sufficient evidence to proceed with the prosecution for
theft against the accused
D/Superintendent C31(4)
Chief Constable
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CONTENTS
Covering Report of
Suzanne Winter
R-v- Maureen McKELVEY
PART1
INDEX,TO COVERING REPORTS
INDEA IO LUV ERIN SEES SS
PAGE NUMBERS
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POLICE SERVICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND
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‘
‘y File Destination PSNI References
Tick as ‘The Disector of Public Prosecutions
sppropriate Royal Courts of Justice, Belfast SUB-DIVISION:
(via PSNI Headquarters)
- Ifin doubt consult
nail SO) of The Director of Public Prosecutions
te Ma Royal Courts of Justice, Belfast V DIVISION:
(via Sub-Divisional Commander)
The Circuit Assistant Director
; » Cireuk HEADQUARTERS:
ae NB: In ‘Fast Stream" cases only the Section marked * should be completed
os sega ssieseastse
SUBJECT*
(Nature of offences, venue,
persons involved)
A.B. Certain cases may require
Jong Form reporting - see
Appendix 54 to R.U.C. Manual
PETTY SESSIONS DISTRICT*
WHERE OFFENCE COMMITTED
DATE OF OFFENCE* From dates unknown to
> 04 Aprit 2002
DATE INVESTIGATION January 2002
COMMENCED*
DATE REPORT SUBMITTED*
December 2002
REPORTING"
OFFICER: NAME. Suzanne Winter Les Thorpe
(include the name of an RANK AND NUMBER. Investigation Manager Investigation Team Leader,
altemative officer who is fully
familiar with the circum- STATION Post Office Ltd Post Office Ltd
stances of the case and who may
be contacted in the SUB-DIVISION Belfast Glasgow
absence of the reparting officer).
DIVISION
. TELEPHONE NUMBER “GRO
Q FOR CONTACT —
Form 38/34
wt
Theft of Post Office Limited monies at Clanabogan Post Office 164 Clanabogan Road Omagh 8178
‘4SN by Mrs Maureen McKELVEY Sub Postmaster of Clanbogan Post Office
Petty Sessions Office
OMAGH
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PERSONS REPORTED* :.
“a ‘ SURNAME, McKELVEY
“YY fate page 2 for each
person reported. Number FORENAMES Maureen
DATE OF BIRTH i GRO}
Aooress ‘GRO
CHARGED YES NO COPY CHARGE SHEET ATTACHED AT
PART IV
(Delete as appropriete)
SUMMONS. YES NO COPY SUMMONS ATTACHED AT PART IV
ISSUED
INFORMATION YES NO COPY INFORMATIONS ATTACHED AT
LAID PARTIV
+5 DATE OF FIRST COURT APPEARANCE
AT DATE OF THIS REPORT IS IN CUSTODY ON BAIL
NATURE OF PRINCIPAL
EVIDENCE AGAINST. WRITTEN CONFESSION
PERSON REPORTED
ORAL CONFESSION ONLY.
(Tick as appropriate) VISUAL IDENTIFICATION
MEDICAL EVIDENCE
FORENSIC EVIDENCE
DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE.
> OTHER (SPECIFY)
ANTECEDENT HISTORY"
OR PERSON REPORTED PREVIOUS YES NO COPY CRO 22 ATTACHED AT PART IV
CONVICTIONS
(Summarise relevant
information eg. marital status, COPY CRO 14 ATTACHED AT PART IV
employment, associates,
mental or physical
abnomatities. Give physical
description where identific- 4
ation is at issue.
38/34(a)
19
OUTLINE OF CASE"
{Givyient facts in
For..égical order with clarity
and brevity, Do not merely
repeat witness statements.
Where more than one person
reported summarise the case
against each.
Whilst the aim should be to
summarise the facts on one
page, a continualion page may
be used if itis necessary for the
inclusion of all the salient facts.)
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PRECIS OF FACTS
These enquiries deal with the theft, of Post Office Limited monies by
In McKELVEY. The =n McKELVEY date of birth,
, address Omagh at the time of the
offence was Sub Postmaster of CLANABOGAN Sub Post Office,
Omagh
The facts of the case are as follows:
Post Office Limited pays out Pensions and Allowances on behalf of the
Benefits Agency (BA) - an executive agency of the Department of
Social Security - in England, Scotland and Wales, and for the Social
Security Agency in Northem Ireland. Pensions and Allowances are also
paid out on behaff of the Ministry of Defence.
Benefit type is identified by Group, a list of Groups is shown below.
Group Type of Benefit
1 Army Pensions/Allotments
2 Ministry of Defence Industrial Injury Benefit
3 RAF Allotments
5 Child Benefit One Parent Benefit Guardian Allowance
6 War Pension
7 Disability Living Allowance
9 Prescription Charges Refund
40 Non - contributory Retirement Pension with Income Support
Retirement Pension with Income Support
Income Support with Attendance Allowance/Disability
Allowance
11 Income Support
42 industrial Injury Disablement and Death Benefits
13 Non - contributory Retirement Pension
Attendance Allowance only
Invalid Care Allowance
Retirement Pension
Widow's Benefit
Maternity Allowance
Child's Special Allowance
14 Incapacity Benefit
Overall requirements
Severe Disablement Allowance
Living
Customers who collect a pension or allowance normally receive
payment by order book. The order book contains a number of
detachable foils, on which is printed the:- date of payment, amount of
payment, pension or national ingurance number, group number. The
detachable foils are attached to a counterfoil which is fastened to the
cover of the order book.
Payment can only be made on or after the due day of payment unless
payment in advance has been authorised. When the order book is
presented at the Post Office both the counterfoil and the detachable foil
>
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ie foil is torn from the order book
te f detache
‘Pen llowances paid at the counter are summarised and
accounted for weekly,Many. Post Offices prepare a daily summary of}
I paid pension and allowance foils. Daily and or weekly summaries are I
prepared by sorting all paid foils into their respective group, in
ascending order of value, each group of foils is then machine add listed
with the total for each group, carried to the bpttom of the machine listing
to provide a‘summary of all group totals. Group totals, from all machine
listings for that accounting week, are entered onto the form
P2311(b)MA. Grand totals, for the individual group numbers, are
summarised on the Pensions and Allowances Summary P2311MA.
The grand total for all paid pension and allowances is then entered in
the Payments Table of the weekly Cash Account of the Post Office.
On completion of the weekly cash account all paid pension and
allowance foils and form P2311(b)MA are despatched to the Paid Order
Unit, Lisahally, Londonderry. Summary form P2311MA is despatched
to the Post Office Financial Accounting Department, Chesterfield.
The Paid Order Unit, Lisahally, Londonderry, is responsible for
checking the value of paid pension and allowance foils received from
Post Offices. There is a process in place that is risk assessment based,
which identifies which offices are to be checked each week. This is
4 sdone on a ‘rota system’. Whilst conducting a routine ‘rota check’ of the
paid pensions and allowances foils despatched by Clanabogan Post
Office, overclaims were identified, on each of the weeks examined,
varying in value, from £0.40 to £148.00 . The overclaims were
generated by claiming non-existent pension and allowance foils.
The Post Office Ltd Investigation Team when appraised of the situation,
made arrangements to receive the paid pension and allowance
pouches, forwarded from Clanabogan Post Office to POU, Lisahally, on
behalf of the Benefits Agency.
} Local checks by the Post Office Ltd Investigation Team revealed
overclaims of a similar patter to those identified by the POU, Lisahally.
attended Clanabogan Post Office, on Thursday the 04/04/02,
accompanied by John McKENNY , a member of the Security and Audit
team. A special audit was conducted by McKENNY and the result of
the audit was a shortage of £ 152.80.
Les THORPE , and Suzanne WINTER , Consignia investigation Team
I At the conclusion of the audit McKELVEY, was formally interviewed
‘under Police and Criminal Evidertce ( N. Ireland) Order 1989 Codes of
Practice tape seal numbers 030080 and 030081 refers in the presence
I I of her solicitor Stephen Atherton
McKELVEY could or would not offer a reason for the discrepancies
and stated she had done everything to the best of her ability .
&f
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At the conclusion of the interview McKELVEY was informed further
. checks needed to be completed of the pension and allowance to
* ~ establish the final figure of the overclaims. _McKELVEY and
ATHERTON were invited to observe the checking of the outstanding
pensions and allowance pouches.
On 2 May 2002 McKELVEY and ATHERTON observed the examination
I of the pension pouches and additional overclaims were identified.
On completion of the examination of the pension pouches
arrangements were made with ATHERTON to formally interview
McKELVEY regarding the additional pension and allowance overclaims
identified.
On 27" May 2002 McKELVEY, was formally interviewed under Police
and Criminal Evidence (N Ireland) Order 1989 Codes of Practice , tape
seal numbers 030086 refers, in the presence of her solicitor Stephen
Atherton .
McKELVEY offered no explanation regarding the additional overciaims
identified
McKELVEY has made no admissions of guilt in this matter and states
I I she has done everything to the best of her ability.
The discrepancies summarised on the pension schedule indicate it is
due to deliberate action and not error and McKELVEY is the only
person with the appropriate access and opportunity.
Maureen McKELVEY has rendered herself liable to prosecution and in
view of the availability of evidence to support such actions these papers
are forwarded for authorisation to prosecute.
The accounting aspect of this case is currently £4623.48 and remains
outstanding.
{certify that all witness statements taken by police in connection with this investigation are included in
I this file.
38734(0) To be signed by the
FPS 84 investigating officer
y
SU alt= sre fer office aD
ph)
EVIDENCE STILL TO BE OBTAINED"
(Tick-»@ appropriate. .
° ission of reports should not be
red by the absence of such
evidence if a prima facie case can be
established without i}.
Any comments considered appropriate in
sespect of the evidence still to be obtained
should be included eg. where a Forensic
Scientiist has given a verbal indication
regarding NIFSI. findings or where itis
necessary to give an explanation of the
potential significance of any evidence which is
Kkely to be forthcoming.
3834(C3)
992
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POST MORTEM REPORT
MEDICAL REPORT
PHOTOGRAPHS.
MAPS,
OTHER (SPECIFY)
FORENSIC REPORT
NIFSL.CASE NO.
Alcohol
Biology (fibres)
Biology (body fluids)
Biology (General)
Documents
Drugs
Electrical
Explosives (micro chemistry}
Explosives (substances and hardware)
Explosives (general)
Firearms (chemistry)
Firearms (hardware)
Firearms (general)
General Chemistry/Fires
Marks
Metaliurgy
Physical Methods:
Specialist Fingerprint Unit
Toxicology
©
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COMPLAINTS: C&O REF. NUMBER
AGAINST POLICE* . A COMPLAINT HAS BEEN MADE YES NO
Yer. Ys appropriate. Insert C&D
reference if known} FSCU INVOLVEMENT IN INVESTIGATION YES NO
ASSESSMENT OF WITNESSES
To be completed only when
information of particular relevance is ‘
available.
eg. character credibility, attitude to
person(s) reported, reliability, any
disability affecting capability as
witness, age, capacity to give
evidence. State the quality of
witness to a disputed identification.
State the involvement of witnesses
“~y reported crime.
In the case of a child witness it
should be stated whether, in the
opinion of the investigating officer,
that child will be deemed by the
court to understand the nature of the
oath.
DETAILS OF WITNESSES WITH I Record Atlached
RELEVANT CONVICTIONS Witness Applied For Part lV
YES/NO. YESING
saaica)
2 FPE S196
OTHER OBSERVATIONS
(cy additional matter *
‘py DPP consideration, eg.
sectarian background of case,
whether any other incidents linked
to the present case are being
separately investigated).
RECOMMENDATIONS"
AS TO CHARGES AND
PROCEEDINGS
(Stated shortly by reference to
offence, 1.P., date and venue)
$8134(0)
et
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For that you Maureen McKelvey between a date unknown and
04/04/02 at Clanabogan Post Office stole £4623.48 the property of
Post Office Ltd.
Contrary to Section 1 of the Theft Act (NI) 1969
.
Signature of Reporting Officer:
Dale.
oN
ronment
S Winter
i frafor
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iS AND
SOMMENDATIONS OF The facts are as reported by Post Office investigations.
DISTRICT COMMANDER
This is @ systemalic theft operation from the Post Office by a Sub Postmaster.
McKelvey has made no admissions during interviews. I feel there is sufficient
evidence to proceed fo prosecution and I recommend Maureen McKelvey is
prosecuted for theft
Forwarded for favour of direction please.
Name J McCLEERY, Inspector, Criminal Justice Manager
Signature a
Date