Former skip boss jailed over illegal waste scam
A FORMER skips boss who made £874,000 from running an illegal waste scam has been jailed for 42 months.
Victor Andrew Williams, 52, pleaded guilty last year to running the operation at his home at Tŷ Croes, Tŷ Newydd, Llannerchymedd, Anglesey from February 2009 to March 2013.
Then, Caernarfon Crown Court heard Williams had made £354,834 “clear tax-free” profit by pocketing money paid to him for hiring skips.
The rest – £519,166 – was money he had not spent by avoiding taking waste to landfill. On top of that, because he had not declared his profits, Williams had also claimed £96,000 tax and child credit.
Williams’ £487,000 assets were the family home, cash, investments and vehicles – and a confiscation order was made to recover £400,000.
In September last year Williams was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and a confiscation order was made to claw back the money.
In July this year, at Caernarfon Mag- istrates’ Court he was given more time to sell his home to recover the £400,000. He should have appeared again before magistrates last week but the court heard he had been taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd overnight, although there was no adequate explanation of his condition.
Last week, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) prosecutor Dafydd Roberts said £42,000 had been seized from of Williams’ bank accounts – and he had been given six months to repay the rest of the money – £358,000.
Mr Roberts said this was the fourth Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) enforcement hearing, and “each time something happens”.
He said: “Mr Williams is reminded that if he doesn’t sell his house and his land by the next auction, he will be sentenced to prison”, adding that he was “not insensitive” to Williams’ plight.
Then, magistrates chairman Peter Campbell said “sufficient time had passed” and a warrant was issued for him to appear in court with an explanation from doctors of his absence.
On Monday, Williams appeared before District Judge Gwyn Jones, who sentenced him to 42 months jail.
Mr Jones said Williams had “a number of opportunities” to sell his assets but “insufficient steps” had been taken.
The judge said auctioneers Messrs Morgan Evans had not been able to put the property on the market because the terms of engagement had not been sent back to them, and that insufficient effort had been made also to put plant on the market for auction.
An NRW spokesperson said: “It’s vital that businesses in the waste industry understand that there can be serious repercussions if they don’t comply with the law.
“This case demonstrates clearly that anyone trying to take shortcuts in the waste industry will be pursued through the courts if necessary, and that any money they make illegally will be recovered.”