Man rejected €150 litter fine, now he must hand up €2,200

A MAN who refused to pay a €150 litter fine has found his bill for the offence has increased massively to €2,200 after he was ordered to pay it – plus costs and charges after an appeal to the Circuit Court.

Kilkenny man Richard Barron had denied that a sack of rubbish found near to his house was put there by him but lost his claim.

And Judge Patrick Meghen allowed for any difficulties to pay by giving him more than four years to pay it, at a rate of €10 per week.

Barron, who admitted to having drinking problems, was ‘bad from drink’ on April 24, last year, when the black sack was dumped beside a council litter bin at Waterside Close in Waterford City, where he had been living.

An environmental inspector with Waterford County Council told the court that he discovered the sack and took it away for inspection.

When he opened it and went through it, he found a social welfare receipt with Barron’s name on it.

He then found Barron through his inquiries and sent him a fine.

Barron refused to pay, claiming he did not know how the rubbish was found next to a council litter bin across the road from his house.

However, Judge Meghen said that he was ‘not convinced’ by Barron’s evidence.

Along with a €150 fine, Barron was ordered to pay the council’s court costs, along with administration and service charges.

Judge Meghen said that the total fine and costs came to €2,727.50 and he reduced this to €2,227.50.

He suggested that a sum of €10 per week could be applied.

THAT Richard Barron thought it fine to dump a sack of rubbish in a public place and then refuse to pay his €150 penalty is totally unacceptable. Now ordered to pay €2,200 on appeal, this sends entirely the right message to those who think that they can litter with impunity.