Alexandru Croitoru skipped court hearings in 2021 and fled overseas
A Hereford delivery driver has been fined for illegally disposing of waste for a second time in a case heard at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court.
Mr Alexandru Croitoru (26) of Grandstand Road, Hereford, failed to appear for his first court hearing at Hereford magistrate’s court on 9 January 2021, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Two years later, on Wednesday 18 January 2023, Mr Croitoru surrendered himself at Hereford Police Station having been alerted by the Home Office on his return to the UK.
The court heard that in May 2019, Croitoru had thrown ten large parcel bags full of domestic waste over a bridge on Hunderton Lane, Hereford, which had landed in a farmer’s field. Paperwork found in the mass of rubbish led officers of Herefordshire Council’s Community Protection team to Croitoru, who failed to assist with the investigation. On returning to the UK after some time abroad, Croitoru told the court that he had made an error and he did not know how else to dispose of the waste.
Croitoru pleaded guilty to two charges of depositing controlled waste without a licence and for failing to secure the transfer of waste to an authorised person.
He was given a 12 month community order, ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay fines and costs of £1090.
Marc Willimont, the council’s head of public protection, says: “This is a clear case of an individual simply dumping rubbish rather than waiting for the next refuse collection or taking it to the nearest household waste site. He did not cooperate with our enquiries, left the country and only on his return did he surrender himself to the police.
“Fly-tipping costs council tax payers tens of thousands of pounds each year and anyone found will always be prosecuted - this case is an example of what happens when the council traces the waste back.”
The maximum penalty for fly tipping is a £50,000 fine and/or 5 years imprisonment.
All householders have a duty of care to ensure that the waste they produce is disposed of correctly and they have documentation to show who they have transferred the waste to and keep those records for at least 2 years.
Herefordshire Council’s Community Protection Team will investigate fly tipping which is reported by calling 01432 261761 or online at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/flytipping