An ex-police officer has been caught on camera while brazenly dumping an entire carload of rubbish on a stranger’s front driveway in broad daylight.
Paul Earwalker, 47, is seen on camera driving up to a front garden in Maidstone, Kent, and is seen ditching household waste from his people carrier.
But the homeowner who discovered the mess just yards from their front door had a security camera installed and submitted the footage to council officials.
Earwalker, who now runs a prestige car hire company and hires out vehicles for weddings and other events, pleaded guilty to illegally depositing waste.
Paul Earwalker, 47, is seen on camera driving up to a front garden in Maidstone, Kent, and is seen ditching household waste from his people carrier
Earwalker, who now runs a prestige car hire company and hires out vehicles for weddings and other events, pleaded guilty to illegally depositing waste.
He was handed a 12-month community order at Medway Magistrates’ Court.
The officer-turned-criminal will also have to complete 80 hours’ unpaid work, complete rehabilitation activities and pay costs of £1,310 following the court case on Thursday.
He claims a rag and bone man told him to dump the rubbish there and he would later pick it up.
Earwaker, of Maidstone, Kent, said: ‘The rag and bone man that comes round to our close every week, he collects metal in his lorry, and he took a fridge and fridge freezer of mine that was there.
The officer-turned-criminal will also have to complete 80 hours’ unpaid work, complete rehabilitation activities and pay costs of £1,310 following the court case on Thursday
‘That’s the address he told me to take it to.
‘He told me, go down by the Indian restaurant and you’ll see a little alleyway. If you put it on that bit of land he’ll collect it from there and dispose of it. That bit of land looked like what he said…it didn’t look like a house.
‘I was set up.’
Clear video footage shows Earwaker, who claims to have worked for Kent Police for ten years, spending three of them as a sergeant in Medway, pulling up in what appears to be one of his car fleet’s people carriers
Clear video footage shows Earwaker, who claims to have worked for Kent Police for ten years, spending three of them as a sergeant in Medway, pulling up in what appears to be one of his car fleet’s people carriers.
He runs Kent Prestige Cars, a Kent-based car hire company that claims to have provided cars for celebrities including Olly Murs, Anthony Joshua, Sam Faiers and ex EastEnders actor Shaun Williamson.
In the video, he dips in and out of his vehicle, pulling out a table, chairs, part of a sofa and other household items.
The footage prompted a slew of angry residents to call for tougher sentences for fly-tippers.
Jane Slender said: ‘Well done. My son collects waste and scrap and spends a small fortune on licences.
‘These people are nothing but sloths.’
Arron Perry fumed: ‘He used a vehicle to commit the offence should have licence revoked and banned for couple years.’
And Heather Narramore added: ‘Glad to hear he was caught, and taken to court. Hope the 80 hours of unpaid work will include litter picking.’
In the video, he dips in and out of his vehicle, pulling out a table, chairs, part of a sofa and other household items
A spokesman for Maidstone Borough Council’s Waste Crime Team said of the fly-tip in May last year: ‘Earwaker decided to deposit a large amount of household upon someone’s private driveway.
‘He committed the offence in the middle of the day whilst the homeowner was inside the property.
‘The incident was caught on the homeowner’s CCTV and when they realised what had happened, they reported to the Waste Crime Team who later seized the offender’s vehicle and interviewed them about the offence.’
Jamie Duffy, the council’s waste crime manager, added: ‘Maidstone will not stand for any act of fly tipping within the borough.
‘We take the approach to seize fly tippers vehicles and can sell or destroy the vehicle where possible.
‘Your waste is your responsibility and you need to ensure you dispose of it correctly.’