At Haverfordwest magistrates court on Wednesday, a Whitland fly-tipper was made the subject of a 120-hour community ounishment order following conviction for a number of offences contrary to both the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA'90) and the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989 (COPA'89).
He was also ordered to pay £1,000 towards the costs of Environment Agency Wales who brought the prosecution.
At an earlier court hearing, held on March 11, Stacey Joseph Rafferty, of Westover Caravan Park, West Street, Whitland, pleaded guilty to three charges of depositing controlled waste on land which did not have the benefit of a waste management licence, contrary to Section 33 of EPA'90, and to one charge of transporting controlled waste without being registered as a waste carrier, contrary to Section 1(1) of COPA'89. Sentence had been adjourned on that occasion pending the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
The court was told that the charges were from three separate instances of fly-tipping identified during 2002 and 2003. On two occasions waste had been deposited at a disused quarry at the entrance to the Bwlch Sais Forestry, near Pentre Galar, and on the third occasion, waste had been left near Ashfield Farm, St. Florence.
In each instance, investigations by Agency officers traced the source of some of the items deposited and it became clear that in each case the individuals in question had engaged the defendant who traded under the name 'Ready Landscapes' to dispose of waste resulting from house and garden shed clearances.
When initially questioned, Rafferty had denied any knowledge of the deposits, however he subsequently contacted the Agency and made a full admission.
It was also established that Rafferty advertised his services as a licensed waste carrier, although at the time of the offences he was not in fact registered as one.
After the case, an Agency spokesperson said: "This is a clear example of an individual who was prepared to scar the countryside of Pembrokeshire for personal gain. This form of anti-social behaviour is all too prevalent, and the Agency will continue to take rigorous enforcement action against all those who adopt a similar cavalier attitude towards our environment. It is hoped that sentences such as this will act as a deterrent to others contemplating fly-tipping."