A former Weymouth resident was found guilty of fly-tipping offences last week, following a report from a member of the public and subsequent investigation by Dorset Council officers.
Daniel James Ellis, 39, formerly of Weymouth but now living on Stone Close in Leicester, pleaded guilty to dumping waste at Gould’s Hill in Weymouth on or about 27 February 2022.
Mr. Ellis had fly-tipped household waste consisting of black bin bags, cardboard packaging and a helium gas cannister with a tube attached, used for pumping up balloons.
The waste was discovered by a member of the public who photographed the waste using a mobile phone and reported the fly-tip directly to Dorset Council.
Enforcement Team officers investigated the rubbish and discovered evidence linking it to a local resident who had paid Mr. Ellis £20 to dispose of it at a local household recycling centre. When Mr. Ellis was traced by the Enforcement Team, he admitted he’d dumped the waste and accepted full responsibility.
On the 21 March 2022 a Fixed Penalty Notice was issued to Mr. Ellis for the fly-tipping offence to discharge his liability to conviction. However, no payment was received despite a reminder letter being sent.
This left the Council with little option but to prosecute Mr. Ellis, who initially failed to attend court leading to a warrant for his arrest being issued. Officers then learned of his move to Leicester where he was arrested and pleaded guilty.
Mr. Ellis was convicted of depositing household waste on land at Gould’s Hill, Weymouth without an environmental permit, contrary to Section 33 (1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. He was sentenced at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 17 January to “time served”, having spent 24 hours in custody, and ordered to pay £520 in costs and £29 compensation.
Cllr Laura Beddow, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Culture, Communities and Customer Services, said:
“I want to thank the witness for reporting this fly-tip to us directly, and with photographic evidence. This allowed us to act quickly, investigate the mess and take the appropriate action. By working together with the public, we can make a bigger impact and help get to grips with this illegal activity.
If you see a fly-tip, please make a note of where it is, take a picture if you can, and note down any other details. Never touch the waste or confront fly-tippers. You can report it to us via the website, or by giving us a call. Where there is sufficient evidence, we will investigate all reported fly-tipping incidents and attempt to trace and prosecute anyone found to be fly-tipping on public land.
Well done to everyone involved with this successful prosecution, which I hope is seen as a clear demonstration of how seriously we’re taking fly-tipping in Dorset.”
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