Prison sentence for illegal waste
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A WASTE recycling haulier has been sentenced to nine months in prison and ordered to pay £330,000 for carrying out illegal waste activities.
In a case brought by the Environment Agency (EA), Sheffield Crown Court was told how between June 2010 and October 2011, Christopher Theaker, 49, operated four separate commercial wood waste sites — Sheepbridge Lane in Mansfield, Effingham Road and Claywheels Lane in Sheffield and Station Road in Ecclesfield — trading under the Theaker Recycling company name.
There were no environmental permits in force for any of the sites that the wood storage and wood chipping activities were being carried out at. Theaker was charged with four
accounts of operating illegal wood waste facilities without an environmental permit under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. Theaker, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, was ordered to pay £250,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and £80,000 costs.
In passing sentence, His Honour Judge Watson QC said the operations created a significant risk of harm in the form of dust pollution and that the offences had been committed despite warnings from the EA. Summing up
In committing the offences, Theaker had demonstrated a prolonge4 systematic disregard for the regulations with a view to profit.