A fly-tipper, who advertised a ‘legal’ disposal business but dumped sofas, mattresses and rubble on residential roads, has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.
Andrew Smithson, 31, and his employee, Joel Ducille, 26, dumped furniture, carpets and domestic and builders’ waste on residential streets in Birmingham for three years.
The pair received prison sentences totalling 40 months after admitting to 16 offences at Birmingham Crown Court.
Smithson advertised his services online, where it was claimed waste would be disposed of legally and recycled.
Andrew Smithson, 31, and his employee, Joel Ducille, 26, dumped furniture, carpets and domestic and builders’ waste on residential streets in Birmingham for three years
The pair received prison sentences totalling 40 months after admitting to 16 offences at Birmingham Crown Court
He pleaded guilty to nine fly-tipping offences and three further. He was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and banned from driving for 51 months.
Ducille pleaded guilty to four fly-tipping offences. He received a 10-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work and also handed a rehabilitation order.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to offences at earlier hearings.
Birmingham City Council brought the prosecution after two vehicles were reported and observed dumping waste at several sites across the city between May 28, 2015 and December 2, 2015.
The two Ford Transits – a silver 06-plate van, which had noticeable damage to the bodywork, and a 56-plate white van – used fake registration plates on four occasions before going on to sites to dump the rubbish they collected.
Smithson is the registered keeper of both vehicles, using his alias Andrew Roberts.
During this period the vehicles were used to dump waste – including sofas, window frames, builders’ rubble, carpet and mattresses – at locations in Aston, Hockley, Kings Norton, Kings Heath, Oscott and Perry Barr.
Smithson is the registered keeper of both vehicles, using his alias Andrew Roberts
On July 31, 2015, Smithson drove the white Ford Transit – using fake registration plate – onto Becton Grove, Perry Barr, where two sofas and crockery were fly-tipped.
Then on October 19, 2015, Ducille was observed dumping a tonne-bag of builders’ plaster and rubble on Tame Road, Aston. Both incidents were captured on CCTV.
Between November 26, 2013 and August 4, 2015, Smithson’s waste collection service, which at times used the name ‘A and R Removals’ advertised on websites including Gumtree and Yell.com – falsely stating it was a registered waste company and carrier.
Smithson was also a regular visitor to a scrap metal yard in Nechells between December 3, 2013 and February 29, 2016.
He received payments totalling £19,278.61 for scrap metal weighed-in, despite not being a licensed scrap metal dealer.
On March 9, 2016, Waste Enforcement Unit officers seized both Ford Transit vans from Cranleigh Place, off Aldridge Road, along with other evidence including two bundles of cash – £820 of which was found to be counterfeit notes – and receipts from cashing in the scrap metal.
Tony Quigley, head of the Waste Enforcement Unit at Birmingham City Council, said: ‘This case was a classic example of individuals who had absolutely no respect for their local environment – and this prosecution shows we can and will pursue culprits who blight our neighbourhoods with fly-tipping.
A man who ran a business fly-tipping waste has been jailed for two-and-a-half yearrs
Smithson was also a regular visitor to a scrap metal yard in Nechells between December 3, 2013 and February 29, 2016
‘It also acts as a timely reminder that anyone who has waste should only use official, registered waste disposal firms – otherwise they will be contributing to fly-tipping in the city.
‘It is worth spending a few minutes carrying out your own background checks before contacting any organisations offering such a service.
‘Further, if you see anybody fly-tipping, report it. We need to tackle this criminal behaviour together.’