Man given suspended jail sentence for waste offences in Jonesborough

Stephen Donald (aged 54), of Carrick Road Loughbrickland, was given 18 months imprisonment, suspended for 3 years for ten separate waste offences to run concurrently at Newry Crown Court.

The offences related to the unauthorised deposit, keeping, and treating of controlled waste at two sites owned and controlled by Mr. Donald located at Meenan Road, Loughbrickland and Station Road, Jonesborough. Both sites have been subject to unauthorised waste disposal through surface deposition and infilling with controlled waste.

The site at Meenan Road, Loughbrickland was inspected on various occasions between 2017 and 2019 by Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) officers. On 27 March 2019, NIEA officers carried out a full intrusive survey. The survey uncovered large quantities of controlled waste consisting of waste compost contaminated with plastics, mushroom compost, chicken manure, construction and demolition and general household waste. Samples of the waste taken during inspections showed that the waste was polluting in nature.

The site at Station Road, Jonesborough was inspected on various occasions between 2018 and 2020 by officers of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). During these inspections NIEA officers identified the presence of controlled waste consisting of mushroom compost, compost waste mixed with plastics and chicken litter waste.

There were no waste management authorisations in place to allow controlled waste to be deposited, kept, treated or disposed of on the site.

NIEA issued Mr Donald with a formal notice to remove the controlled waste, from both sites however he failed to comply, and the waste remains on site.

NIEA were awarded a total of £2,853.76 in court costs.