Shameless fly-tipper fined
SHAMELESS Michael Wright left a green oasis resembling a dump after flytipping.
Wright charged £30 to take away a van full of furniture after responding to a woman’s social media post.
But instead of disposing of the haul responsibly, unlicensed Wright dumped it in a fly-tipping hotspot at Walker Riverside Country Park, in Newcastle.
Newcastle City Council’s environmental health officers tracked him down after finding two cancelled passports in the trash belonging to his customer.
Wright, 28, of Heathfield Crescent, Cowgate, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to depositing controlled waste on land without the authority of an environmental permit. He was fined £250 and ordered to pay £392 compensation, a £30 victim surcharge and legal costs of £1,763- a total of £2,436.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how a woman placed a post on social media asking if anyone know of somebody that removed rubbish, in April. Wright’s girlfriend responded saying: “my lad and his uncle have a van they don’t charge much.”
The customer agreed the charge and Wright and an older man turned up at her house in a blue Ford transit. They took the cash but did not give a receipt.
The next day a council cleansing crew found two piles of junk in the park, popular with cyclists and walkers. They contained furniture, kitchen units, toys, clothing, shoes, a fridge, paperwork and electrical items.
Wright later told his customer he would just play dumb and say ‘it wasn’t me’ if questioned.
In court he was given credit for an early guilty plea.
After the case, Coun Nick Kemp, said: “Fly-tipping costs the taxpayer in England £600m a year, and in Newcastle we never hesitate to prosecute fly-tippers. Through our surveys we know that flytipping is an environmental crime that residents particularly dislike so we know our zero-tolerance approach has their full backing.
“I hope this case sends a message loud and clear that crime does not pay. For £30 cash in hand, Wright now faces a bill of almost £2,500.”