A 68-year-old is in prison after repeated waste offences spanning the course of the last decade.
The man, from Corby, was responsible for an illegal waste site that put human health and the environment at risk.
In January 2021 Northampton Crown Court sentenced the criminal to 18 months immediate imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to breaching the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations SI 2016/1154, at a previous hearing in October 2020.
Trading under the name Abbey Skips, the criminal repeatedly stockpiled waste on a site in Fineshade, without the necessary permits.
Any business that handles, stores, treats or disposes of waste must hold the right Environment Agency permits to ensure precautions are taken to protect people and nature from harm.
The previous hearing in October 2020 heard how the criminal repeatedly and deliberately ignored advice and warnings from the Environment Agency that his actions were illegal and dangerous.
His activities:
The criminal saved thousands of pounds by burning and burying his waste rather than disposing of his waste lawfully at authorised waste sites.
The man did initially have a permit to run the waste site in 2009, but a year later, was in court for illegally burning waste, resulting in noxious fumes and odours. Despite being ordered to pay thousands in fines and costs, he continued to offend. His permit was revoked in 2011 and he was ordered to clear the site by the following spring.
When officers followed up in 2012 it appeared the criminal was complying, but five years later, complaints began from the local community. Environment Agency officers responded and found waste was again being stored and burnt on the site. They warned the criminal to stop the activities, which he ignored, and officers discovered he was also storing a further 1,000 tonnes of waste at a second site.
In 2019 the man pleaded guilty to a number of charges and was handed a six month sentence, suspended for two years, for "intentional and flagrantly disregarding the law", intended to protect the environment. But less than a month after sentencing, he continued his activities, including illegal burning. He was arrested and released on bail, but warned he would be remanded if he was found to be involved in any waste activity.
In Summer 2020 the criminal breached the conditions of his bail and was again arrested in September following further evidence of burning and burial of waste. The Judge described his offending as a "complete disregard to instructions given by the Environment Agency".
The Judge made an order requiring the criminal to clean up the site within the next 12 months, and adjourned the consideration of a claim for more than £30,000 Environment Agency costs until March 2021.
Yvonne Daly, Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, said: "This case is a shocking example of an individual driven by profit blatantly ignoring their responsibilities, putting people and nature in harm's way, and attempting to undercut legitimate businesses".
"The custodial sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime, and we hope it serves as a warning to others – we won’t hesitate to take action against those flout the rules".
