A Chippenham man has been fined a significant sum after dumping rubbish in the countryside.
25-year-old Joseph Hillier, of Stockwood Road, pleaded guilty to two counts of fly-tipping when he appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Friday (30 September).
Wiltshire Council officers investigated two loads of household waste dumped in Easton Lane, Corsham, on two separate dates between February and April this year.
Armed with the relevant evidence, environmental enforcement officers initially interviewed the defendant under caution – and he admitted the two acts of fly-tipping.
The court heard how Hillier had a build-up of rubbish at home, which he intended to take to the household recycling centre at Stanton St Quinton near Chippenham.
On arrival at the centre, he found it was closed – and so in an act of stupidity, he decided to dump the rubbish on a country lane on his journey back home.
Not satisfied with dumping his first load of waste, he then repeated the act in another rural area of Corsham a few weeks later.
He told the court it was an idiotic thing to do and that he regretted his actions. Magistrates imposed fines amounting to £2,001 – including the council’s legal costs.
Cllr Dr Mark McClelland, Cabinet Member for Waste, said: “We adopt a zero tolerance on fly-tippers across the Wiltshire Council area and where we have the evidence, we will pursue prosecutions.
“Quite rightly this person was convicted for his actions which were illegal and completely unacceptable. Not only was he content to fly-tip his waste once, but he also thought it was acceptable to dump further waste in our rural county.
“We have set out our commitment in our business plan to pursue further fly-tipping prosecutions, and we are investing in more technology and more resources to step up our fight against the scourge of fly-tipping.”
