Council vow after fly-tipping roofer prosecution
Council bosses have vowed to be “relentless” in their pursuit of fly-tippers in the wake of a successful prosecution.
Roofer Aaron Elvis Higgins appeared before Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on May 2 and was hit in the pocket for more than £3,500 for dumping van loads of building rubbish at the same site on three separate occasions.
The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to three separate offences of fly-tipping at Goscote Lodge Crescent in Walsall on April 12, April 13 and July 1 in 2016 – all of the incidents were caught on CCTV.
Councillor Garry Perry, portfolio holder for community, leisure and culture, said the authority would continue to crackdown on offenders in the borough.
He said: “It is never pleasing to have to take anyone to court for offences relating to fly tipping, however, sometimes this is necessary to maximise the message that such offences are intolerable and will be dealt with.
“These cases are extremely important as they assist with the messaging and the zero-tolerance approach this administration is taking.
“It is a further example of the approach being undertaken and our continual effort to reduce incidences through education, awareness and enforcement.
“Gathering evidence and securing material that assist investigations is no easy feat and all credit to the teams of staff involved from Public Protection and Legal.
“We will be relentless in the pursuit of those who show disregard for our borough and a combination of measures are now coming to fruition.
“This could mean that fines are maximised and enforced through the court and in some cases the seizing of vehicles used in a fly-tip will be the course of action taken.
“There are no longer any excuses and our resolve to a cleaner borough is firm.”
Self-employed Higgins accepted that his actions were deliberate and claimed the offences were committed after his business had slowed and he could not afford to dispose of the waste properly.
The court also heard Higgins, who had no prior convictions for fly-tipping, was a hard-working family man and father-of-four who was “ashamed of his actions”.
He was ordered to pay £700 for each of the three offences as well as £660 towards clean-up costs, £300 officer investigation costs, £400 legal costs and a £70 victim surcharge.
Higgins, of Masefield Road, Blakenall, was given 14 days to pay the £3,530 total.
