A man was sentenced to a 12 week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months at Newcastle Crown Court for repeatedly illegally storing and dismantling old cars.
On 21 March 2011, John Dawson (66) of Vine Street, Wallsend pleaded guilty to three offences brought by the Environment Agency at Newcastle Crown Court. He was also ordered to pay costs of £5,000 to the Environment Agency, which brought the case.
The offences date back to 2004 and relate to Dawson’s business, Prudhoe Auto Dismantlers, on Prudhoe Industrial Estate.
Diana Maudslay, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, told the court that Dawson had held a waste management licence for the site since August 1992 but in 2004 refused to pay the fees for the renewal of the licence. Despite repeated correspondence Dawson did not pay the fee, but did continue to operate his site, which was then considered illegal due to the non-payment of his fees.
In 2006 the Environment Agency charged Dawson with three counts of unauthorised keeping of controlled waste. Dawson pleaded guilty to one of the charges and was ordered to pay a £500 fine, £500 costs and outstanding subsistence fees to the Environment Agency.
The court heard that the other two offences from 2004 and 2005 were not proceeded with at the time. However Dawson continued to refuse to pay his fees for subsequent years.
Environment Agency officers continued to visit the site throughout 2007 and 2008 and saw that cars were still being stored and broken up on the site.
On 26 November 2008 Dawson locked the site gates when he saw two environmental crime officers approaching and denied them access to the site, stating they could not go on to the site without a warrant, which is not true.
Despite requests, Dawson refused to attend an interview with the Environment Agency to answer the charges brought against him.
Speaking after the case, environmental crime officer Alan Calver said: “Even though people have a licence to operate, they still have to adhere to the terms of that licence.
“It is vital that businesses, however big or small, comply with the law so that we can protect our environment for future generations.”
Source: Environment Agency
