Enforcement Officers from the Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP), working alongside Dorset Council’s legal team, have successfully prosecuted a fly-tipper from Weymouth.
Bartlomiej Jozef Grabinski, 22, pleaded guilty to operating an illegal waste site at Green Hill Barton, Coombe Valley, at Weymouth Magistrates Court where he was sentenced to a two year Conditional Discharge on 3 February.
Enforcement officers first received a tip-off relating to the crime early last year and discovered a substantial amount of waste on the land after visiting.
Mr Grabinski, who ran a company specialising in household and commercial waste disposal, ‘Weymouth Cheap Man and Van Ltd’, pleaded guilty to depositing waste at the site without a permit to either store or treat waste at the location. He was burning waste on the site when DWP officers first approached him.
Following the first visit, Mr Grabinski was told to attend an interview at the Trading Standards Offices in Dorchester and ordered to stop bringing waste to the site. However he failed to stop his activities and continued to bring waste onto the site.
Mr Grabinski attended an interview at the Trading Standards Offices on 6 August 2019, where he stated that he had brought waste to the site as he didn’t realise that he needed an Environmental Permit or Waste Exemption from the Environment Agency to permit him to deposit or treat waste.
Mr Grabinski was served with two Fixed Penalties for dumping waste on land not licenced to accept it (fly tipping) and for failing to provide Waste Transfer Notes as required.
Mr. Grabinski was also given a Community Protection Notice and 21 days to clear the site at Coombe Valley Road.
Despite the fixed penalties, Mr Grabinski failed to pay the fine or clear the site by 11 September 2019. When Enforcement Officers returned there was still a substantial amount of waste on the land and fresh evidence of waste being burned at the site. Mr Grabinski was consequently prosecuted by Dorset Council.
Mr Grabinski was sentenced to a 2-year Conditional Discharge for his offences. The Court took account of his mitigating circumstances, including his previous good character and his early guilty plea as well as his financial difficulties.
Mr. Grabinski was also ordered to pay £400 costs and a £21 Victim Surcharge. The Court informed him that should he commit any further offences within the next 2 years, he may be re-sentenced.
Cllr Tony Alford, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Customer, Community and Regulatory Services, said:
“This is yet another successful prosecution which shows that we will not give up chasing fly-tippers and will bring them to justice”.
“Illegal dumping of waste is a blight on the community and a crime, costing the Dorset taxpayer thousands of pounds each year. This prosecution is another example of our commitment to keeping the county clean and green.
“We will not tolerate the actions of fly-tippers. We need the public’s continued support to ensure these criminal actions are brought to justice.”
