Gareth Smith was fined £270 after pleading guilty to one charge under the Environmental Protection Act on 18 November 2022 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
The court heard that in the early afternoon of 9 November 2021 a police mobile patrol spotted a silver Ford Transit reversed up against the locked gates at the electrical sub-station on Wighton Road in Edinburgh. The van had its rear doors wide open.
Smith was seen to drag items from the rear doors of the van and deposit them onto the pavement outside the sub-station. The items included mattresses, a wooden cabinet and a wooden frame.
The police stopped their vehicle and approached Smith. He was advised that he was committing an offence and he would need to gather up all the items, put them back into the van and dispose of them correctly.
Police had to deal with a separate matter while talking to Smith and at that point he got back in the van and drove off leaving the items where they were.
The police took photos of the items which Smith had left behind. They returned to the scene sometime later and the items were still there.
The items were subsequently removed but it is not known when, by whom or at what cost.
From the photos provided by the police, the council’s waste management team estimated it would cost £150 to remove the waste.
Speaking after the sentencing, Fiona Caldwell, Head of the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit of COPFS said:
“Gareth Smith showed a clear disregard for the environment in committing these offences.
“Fly-tipping causes the public real and legitimate concern. It is criminal behaviour which creates an eyesore and is costly to clear up.
“There is no excuse for illegally dumping waste and those who choose to engage in it will be brought to account for their actions.