A man from Sittingbourne has been fined £200 and ordered to pay £315 in costs for depositing a whole range of controlled waste without a licence.
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The defendant from Sittingbourne was found guilty under section 33(6) of The Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Maidstone Magistrates Court in October.
The defendant attended the hearing and pleaded guilty to the offence. The Court heard how on 13 May 2011, Mr Daniel Bacon, a Street Warden for Swale Borough Council, found a combined fridge freezer, wooden cabinet, various boxes for electrical goods, a black sack containing household waste, a computer case, loose children’s toys, empty cans, bottles and packaging, blue bed sheets, wooden panels and a large plastic box at the entrance to the footpath off Wrens Road in Manns Place, Bredgar near Sittingbourne.
Evidence was found at the scene that indicated that the defendant could be the person who deposited the waste there.
The defendant was contacted and he confirmed under caution at the Council Offices that he had put the waste at the location above.
The Justices considered the facts of the matter and considered that this was a serious offence and that their sentencing powers in this case were limited due to the fact that the defendant was unemployed and on Job Seekers Allowance, otherwise they would have imposed a higher financial penalty.
Sharon Allen, Swale Borough Council’s Enforcement Officer, said “Swale Borough Council will do everything in its powers to tackle fly-tipping in the borough. We take each case very seriously and this is proof that we will prosecute where we have to. Everyone needs to take responsibility for disposing of their waste.
“We work with a whole range of organisations to tackle fly-tipping and if the publicity of successful convictions doesn’t act as deterrent enough then offenders can receive fines up to £50,000, and/or imprisonment. Residents want Swale to remain clean and green and we intend to keep it so.”
