Burton man handed jail sentence for running illegal waste site
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ShareA man has been handed a seven-month prison sentence for illegally operating a waste facility near Burton-upon-Trent.
Robert Murphy, of Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, appeared at Stafford Crown Court on 30 April 2015, for illegally operating a waste facility on land off the A38 at Eggington, near Burton-upon-Trent.
The court heard that over a 15-month period (from 3 January 2013 to 28 June 2014), Murphy used the land, which belonged to a local ‘vulnerable’ couple, to store and burn large quantities of mixed waste.
The Environment Agency (EA) provided evidence to show Murphy did not have permission to use the land, nor did he possess an environmental permit. It was also reported that the land was left in a ‘state of complete ruin’.
The court heard that although many actions were taken to remove Murphy, which included a stop letter, changing the locks on the entrance to the site and installation of CCTV, he continued to operate on the land.
Sentencing
It was reported that a number of witnesses gave evidence during the hearing - one doing so behind screens, so they could not be seen by Murphy.
On handing down the seven-month prison sentence, the judge concluded that an immediate custodial sentence was the only option given the seriousness of the defendant’s actions.
Speaking after the hearing, an EA officer involved with the case said: “Throughout the investigations Mr Murphy was given a number of opportunities to stop his illegal activities but continued to show a complete disregard towards the environment, landowners and authority.
“This prosecution demonstrates that we take cases such as this very seriously and will not hesitate to prosecute if necessary, to protect the environment and local communities.”
Confiscation proceedings have been scheduled for 12 June 2015 to seek compensation for the landowner to assist with the cost of clearing the site.
Further EA prosecution
In a separate EA prosecution, a man appeared at Teeside Magistrates Court last week (21 May) for illegally disposing of waste on a site next to Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast Special Protection Area – which provides sanctuary for rare and vulnerable birds.
Acting on behalf of the EA, solicitor Chris Bunting told the court that Jamie Thomas Rose, aged 30 from Middlesborough, had stored and burned waste at Hope Street Industrial Estate in Haverton Hilll, Stockton, between January and August 2014.
The court heard that EA officers first attended the location on 15 January, and saw ‘piles of mixed household waste’. Their enquiries revealed that there was neither an environmental permit nor any exemptions in place for the site.
Clear advice and guidance was given
At the time, Rose was interviewed in relation to the offence, and he admitted to operating his business without a permit. He was given advice and guidance by the EA on the actions required to legitimise his operation.
The court heard, however, that although Rose had cleared some waste initially, subsequent EA visits showed that waste was still being dumped and burned without a permit in place, regardless of the guidance that had previously been given.
After pleading guilty to two charges against environmental permitting regulations, Rose was handed a 12-month community order with a requirement to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and a six-month supervised probation order. He was also ordered to pay £2,526 in costs with a £60 victim surcharge.
‘Waste crime has a detrimental impact on local communities’
Commenting on the investigation, Dave Edwardson, of the EA, said: “It’s vital anyone wanting to deposit, store and dispose of waste has the relevant permits in place so we can ensure any risks to the environment are closely monitored and controlled.
“Rose was warned that he needed a permit for his activities but continued to run his operation regardless.
“Waste crime has a detrimental impact on local communities and the environment and in this case the site was right next to a protected area and could have had implications on the wildlife.
“Illegal operations such as this can also undermine legitimate businesses and I’d urge anyone with information about waste crime in their area to make sure it’s reported.”
Find out more about the increasing efforts to crack down on waste crime.
