A man who dumped a mattress, carpets and kitchen units on a Hadrian's Wall footpath has been fined hundreds of pounds for fly-tipping.
Michael Graham, 31, was paid by a Benwell resident to take rubbish away from their home after he advertised a waste removal service on Facebook. But after collecting a mattress, carpet, paint buckets, plaster tubs, and broken kitchen units in January, he illegally dumped them on Hadrian’s Way footpath and cycle route 72.
The routes follow the line for the former Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam railway and are popular with people walking along Hadrian’s Wall.
In the same month, Graham, of no fixed abode, was captured on CCTV loading two fridges, fluorescent light tubes, car bumpers, wooden pallets and signage into a transit van outside of a premises in Gateshead. He then drove the vehicle to a wooded area off Shelley Road in Lemington then went off-road and through the trees before dumping the waste.
It was found days later by a member of staff at The Environment Partnership, who manages the land on behalf of Homes England.
Graham pleaded guilty to two counts of fly-tipping and two counts of transporting waste without a licence at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, August 18. Graham – who is already a serving prisoner – was given 34 weeks in prison to run consecutive to his current jail term.
He was also ordered to pay £312 in compensation to Homes England and £100 to Newcastle City Council.
After the hearing, Cllr Jane Byrne, Newcastle City Council Connected City Cabinet member, said: “This is another excellent result for our diligent officers whose unrelenting work continues to bring criminals to justice. Mr Graham took the waste from residents knowing full well he was going to dump it in the city.
“I am pleased the courts have punished him for his actions and I hope this sends a clear message to other fly-tippers that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated in our city.”
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