AN Amazon driver stole family's £800 pet schnauzer as he delivered dog food to their home.
Levi Pislea, 22, snatched Wilma the puppy when he visited Richard Guttfield's house in Marsworth, Bucks.
Richard and his family were so devastated they even contacted billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos – before UK staff stepped in and tracked the rogue deliveryman down.
Pislea had stashed Wilma the schnauzer at a property in Barnet, North London.
Richard, 52, and his 18-year-old daughter Emily launched an online appeal to find Wilma after she was snatched on April 27 last year, High Wycombe magistrates were told.
SCHNAUZER SNATCHED
Sophie Stannard, prosecuting, told the court: "Mr Guttfield was in an outbuilding with a friend and was expecting a delivery from Amazon.
"He lives in a house with a long drive and there is a large plastic chest by the gate with instructions for Amazon deliveries to be put in it.
"On this occasion the parcel was left in his porch rather than the box."
Giving evidence, Richard said: "On that day I was expecting a delivery of dog food, ironically."
BEZ MATE
Richard said he was playing snooker with a friend and the dogs were behind closed doors in the house.
He explained: "I contacted Amazon on day she went missing – on the Friday. I didn't hear back.
Four days passed. When my sister realised I was getting nowhere she emailed the founder Jeff Bezos and asked him to help.
"Four days passed. When my sister realised I was getting nowhere she emailed the founder Jeff Bezos and asked him to help."
Francis Souza, the logistics operations manager for FastUK parcels that was working for Amazon, said Pislea, when questioned, claimed to know nothing about a missing dog.
But he said an Amazon Flex App traced the driver's steps around Richard's house.
PAW EXCUSE
Pislea, speaking through a Romanian interpreter, claimed he had found the dog on the road and did not know who it belonged to.
He said he decided to take it home and wait and hand it to police on his day off.
Chairman of the bench Irvin Thobourne said: "This was very distressing for the owner and his family. We have heard the dog was also distressed. It was a very serious offence."
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At the time of Wilma's return Richard told The Sun: “Our homes are all exposed to these drivers and the vast majority of them are great.
“But low lives will take advantage. It’s just a miracle I got Wilma back."
Pislea was convicted of theft and sentenced to a 12-month community order with a condition that he carries out 150 hours' unpaid work and pays £705 court costs.
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