Last week, a Weymouth resident was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment after being found guilty of multiple offences, including four environmental crimes.
These were in relation to several fly-tipping reports of building materials being illegally dumped in and around the Dorset Close and Wiltshire Avenue areas of Westham, Weymouth. After a thorough investigation, Enforcement Officers at the Dorset Waste Partnership worked with Dorset Council’s Legal team to bring the case to court.
The case against Knowles was adjourned until this month for sentencing to include other CPS matters, two of which related to offences against the DWP’s Enforcement Officers.
Knowles appeared before Bournemouth Crown Court last week and was sentenced for the four environmental crimes (two for fly-tipping and two for failure to contain waste) that he had previously pleaded guilty to, as well as numerous other offences.
He was sentenced to 2 months imprisonment on each matter (to run concurrently) as a part of a wider 14-month sentence, suspended for 2 years. This is the Dorset Waste Partnership’s and Dorset Council’s first case when someone has been sentenced to imprisonment for fly-tipping.
Jeremy Gallagher, Enforcement Officer at the Dorset Waste Partnership, said: –
“I would personally like to thank Dorset Council’s Legal Team for their help on this case.
It’s important for the Dorset Waste Partnership’s Enforcement Team to demonstrate how seriously we take fly-tipping and, where there is enough evidence, we will attempt to trace and prosecute anyone found to be fly-tipping on public land.
If you see a fly-tip, make a note of where it is, take a picture if you can, and note down any other details. You can report it by using our online form or calling us. Never touch the waste or confront fly-tippers.”
Well done DWP
Good news but clouded by a lack of sound judgement.We think the court was very weak in sentencing and judgment where is the Fine? Was nothing imposed? These characters will not change all he will do is keep his head down and find other ways of acting very irresponsibly. Why wasn’t he given some sort of public service with a yellow tabard stating his Crime?
Well done the Dorset Team. But, I agree, the sentencing is far too weak. Make the offender do some community work. Make him go out with the team to help clear up the mess left by others. Make him pick up litter in the Forest for some hours. It has to be payback time and a suspended sentence is not going to do it.
A slap on the wrist and told not to do it again.
A waste of time and money ( our money ).
You look great in the photo at the awards but where are your teeth, earn your wages do it better for Dorset.
Sentencing too lenient . He will just keep carrying on fly tipping as usual. how much did it cost to bring this man to court several times?
With Soppy sentencing like this it’s a total waste of our taxes .
Why not comendere his truck and put him in prison for a couple of months.
It must be a terrible let down for the investigators who spent so much time bringing this man to so called justice.- Why bother!
Concurrent! should be consecutive and should not be suspended. Nothing there to discourage him or make him change his ways. Pretty weak sentencing really.
Well done. I agree that the sentence seems mild. Involvement of the miscreant in clearing up others mess could lead to a little insight into what the effects of fly tipping have on other people.
Yes much to weak punishment – no thought at all for damage to environment, animals and people. Yes make him go out unpaid with the teams who have to clean up after fly-tippers. Why only suspended and NO fine? The law is an ass – the only people to be severely punished are illegal parkers and speeding!!
Totally agree this punishment does not fit the crime!