Three in court as stinking waste dumped illegally
VAST quantities of waste, from oily car scrap and shredded plastics and rubber to asbestos, syringes and bloody bandages, were deliberately and illegally dumped for profit, a court has heard.
Dennis Connor and his firm, DBC Site Services Ltd, paid two landowners in Neath to accept the waste, and in one case steps were taken to actively bury the material.
Thousands of tons of waste – some hazardous and polluting – were unlawfully deposited at the former Rheola aluminium works site and the adjoining estate in the Neath Valley, and a farm in Skewen.
Connor, along with the landowners, Howard Rees and Eurid Leyshon, found themselves in the dock of Swansea Crown Court for their illegal activity following an investigation by environmental watchdog Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
Alexander Greenwood, prosecuting, said that in the spring of 2016 NRW became aware of materials being transported to the site of the former Rheola aluminium works near Resolven in the Neath Valley. Covert surveillance was carried out, and lorries registered to DBC Site Services 2005 were seen depositing waste. It soon became clear that “large-scale landfill operations” were being carried out on the land, owned by co-defendant Rees. Officers visited the site and found huge quantities of waste.
The smell was described as “horrendous” by the attending officers.
Officers also found large amounts of clinical waste at the Rheola site, just 50m from the Neath Canal, and around 350m from the River Neath, the court heard.
The prosecutor said NRW and South Wales Police then executed a search warrant at Rees’ home, the adjacent Georgian manor known as Rheola House and estate, where they seized paperwork and documents. Further searches were carried out at the DBC offices in Clydach and at Connor’s home address near Morriston, and these led investigators to Pentwyn Farm, near Skewen, a family business run by the third defendant, Leyshon.
A search of this second location uncovered further large quantities of unlawfully dumped waste.
Dennis Brian Connor, of Pantlasau, Cwmrhydyceirw, Swansea; Howard Geary Rees, of Resolven, Neath Valley; and Eurid Huw Leyshon, of Skewen, Neath, had all previously pleaded guilty to environmental offences when they appeared for sentencing.
Barrister Christian Jowett, for Connor, said the defendant was remorseful and devastated.
Robin Rouch, for Rees, said the former Rheola aluminium site was now under new ownership while Rheola House and estate had also been sold, and the family would be homeless come January.
Kate Williams, for Leyshon, said the Leyshons were “very much involved in the local community”.
Judge Catherine Richards sentenced Connor to 20 months in prison suspended for 18 months, and he was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work. DBC Site Services 2005 Ltd was fined £10,000. The court heard Connor and his company benefited from the criminal activity to the sum of £1,121,554. A Proceeds of Crime Act investigation had found Connor has available assets of £177,908 and the company has assets of £65,411. Confiscation orders were made in those amounts.
Rees was sentenced to 16 months in prison suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work. The court heard he had benefited to the tune of £1,405,933. He was found to have £66,841 in assets, and a confiscation order was made in that amount.
Leyshon was sentenced to 16 months in prison suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
The court found the benefit gained totalled £1,296,197 and his available amount for confiscation is £108,313.