Aughnacloy man receives suspended sentence for waste offences

A Co Tyrone man was today given a suspended prison sentence at Enniskillen Crown Court after pleading guilty to illegal waste offences.

Mr Patrick Sherry (59), of Legane Road, Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone, was given a three months prison sentence, suspended for one year, for two offences under the Waste and Contaminated Land Order (Northern Ireland) 1997.

On 19 December 2005 officers from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formerly the Environment and Heritage Service) investigating complaints about illegally deposited waste in the Carnteel area, discovered an oily leachate escaping into Craig’s Bog.

On a subsequent visit, an intrusive survey of the site was carried out to measure the extent of the infill and sample the material. This disclosed at least 6,496 tonnes of mushroom waste. It was estimated that legal disposing of the waste would have cost £328,210.

Notes to editors:

1. Mr Sherry was charged under the following Articles of The Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997:

Article 4(1) b, relating to keeping controlled waste in or on land unless a waste management licence authorising the deposit is in force and the deposit in accordance with the licence.

Article 4(1) c, relating to the disposal of controlled waste in a manner likely to cause damage to the environment or human health.

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