A sex attack victim killed herself while on the phone to Royal Mail bosses who ‘did nothing’ about a predatory postman, a court heard today.
The postal service had received various warnings about Michael Stewart but he continued to work despite complaints from five victims. Tragically, one hung herself during a telephone call to a Royal Mail manager and another has also since died.
Stewart, 63, of Amble, Northumberland, was convicted of 12 offences of sexual assault, harassment and exposure after a trial at Newcastle Crown Court and jailed for six-and-a-half years. He will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register.
The court heard “family man” Stewart hid his sinister motives by having a “kind word and cheeky smile” with people he encountered.
Judge Robert Spragg told him: “I pay tribute to all the women who had the courage to bring this case against you. You hid what you were doing in plain sight, behind the facade of respectability, to allow you to get away with it for some time. Tragically they were not listened to properly when they did report you. You just carried on even after you were warned or they told you to stop. Proper steps to stop you in your tracks were not taken.”
Judge Spragg added: “No sentence I pass can undo the harm that has been caused.” The court heard the victim who took her life had made a statement against Stewart in December 2021 and she died by suicide in March 2022. She said Stewart had grabbed her shirt and looked down at her breasts, kissed her and exposed himself to her three times. In an impact statement in December 2021, she said Stewart’s behaviour towards her had affected her sleeping and eating and she was on medication to help her. She also said she was “not a confident person” and was having thoughts of self harm and suicide.
Judge Spragg said: “On March 11 2022 she committed suicide by hanging at her home address. She made a telephone call to a Royal Mail manager in a very distressed state and blamed her ill health on Michael Stewart’s offending against her and how this was dealt with by Royal Mail. She committed suicide during that telephone call.”
Judge Spragg told Stewart: “Her own victim personal statement referred to self harm and suicide and she was actually on the phone to Royal Mail management when she ended her life showing a clear causal link. While this response was not predictable, it was nonetheless as a result of what you did….had you not behaved in this manner towards her it is clear she would not have suffered the severe psychological harm she did, leading to the loss of her life.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson described the crimes as abhorrent and said they had significant, and in cases tragic, consequences for the victims. They added: “Stewart abused his position of trust. This verdict reflects the seriousness of his offences. We would like to publicly apologise to the victims, their families and to others who were targeted. The protection of our colleagues and customers is our utmost priority. Following this case, we commissioned an independent review. In line with its recommendations, we implemented changes across the organisation, including a multi-year campaign on sexual harassment and culture in the workplace, new internal reporting tools and clearer codes of conduct and expected behaviours.”
Leading the investigation, Detective Constable Anthony Gourley, of Northumbria Police, said: “Michael Stewart is a calculating and dangerous predator who abused his position to target his victims and subject them to traumatic ordeals. He has been brought to justice thanks to the extraordinary strength and bravery of those abused to come forward and report the offences. Tragically, two of his victims died before seeing Stewart convicted and sentenced.”
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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