Peterborough City Council has successfully prosecuted five Peterborough residents in separate incidents of fly tipping in the borough.
Amanda Fisher of Howland in Orton Goldhay, Caterina Boschetto, of Collingham in Orton Goldhay, Stephen Cooper of Sunnymead in Werrington, Sebastian Mika of Hampton in Peterborough and Alberta Correia de sa of Orton Goldhay all pleaded guilty to the offence at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court.
Fisher was fined £50 based on her means and was ordered to pay £400 in costs towards the investigation and clear up, as well as a £20 victim surcharge. Fisher was interviewed by Peterborough City Council after a member of the public contacted the council to report they had seen her dump two sofas in Howland. The council obtained a written statement from the witness and Fisher was interviewed under caution and admitted responsibility for dumping the sofas.
Boschetto was fined £75 based on her means and was ordered to pay £380 in costs towards the investigation and clear up and a £20 victim surcharge. She was interviewed under caution after Peterborough City Council found evidence of her name and address among 20 bags of household waste in Collingham. Under caution, Boschetto admitted responsibility for dumping the waste.
Cooper was fined £180, ordered to pay £275 in costs and a £20 victim surcharge. He was interviewed under caution after evidence obtained via CCTV linked him to dumping paint cans in Werrington, Peterborough. Under caution, Cooper admitted responsibility for leaving the paint cans at the location.
Mika was fined £300, ordered to pay costs to Peterborough City Council of £170, compensation to Circle Housing of £276 and a £30 victim surcharge. Under caution, he admitted responsibility for leaving bags of waste and items of furniture at a location in Hampton.
Correia de sa was fined £90, ordered to pay costs of £150 and a £20 victim surcharge – under caution, she admitted to the unlawful deposit of controlled waste at a location in Hanbury.
Each case was pursued through the court as it was deemed to be in the public interest, said Peterborough City Council.
Peterborough Council’s Cabinet Member for street scene, waste management and communications, Councillor Gavin Elsey, said:
“We are committed to keeping Peterborough clean and green, but sometimes it feels like we’re fighting a battle – we have to clear around 8,000 fly tips each year and it costs us a fortune.
“Fly-tipping is a crime, plain and simple – if we find evidence of fly-tipping and believe we can successfully prosecute, we will take perpetrators to court.
“Peterborough is a great place to be and we want to keep it that way. If you do fly tip, please stop, it is a nuisance and it costs us money.”
Duncan Lewis Criminal Solicitors
Duncan Lewis criminal solicitors can advise individuals and companies at any stage of a charge involving environmental offences such as fly tipping, failing to manage hazardous waste, contaminating watercourses, air pollution, noise pollution, waste carrier offences and misuse of permitted land.
There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide and a Duncan Lewis criminal defence solicitor can attend interview under caution with prosecuting authorities.
For expert legal advice on environmental offences, call Duncan Lewis criminal solicitors on 0333 772 0409.