Man, 39, is jailed for six weeks after being caught illegally fly-tipping household and garden waste
Man, 39, who was filmed spitting at a parking warden and saying ‘I have corona’ is jailed for six weeks after being caught on a hidden council camera as he illegally fly-tipped household and garden waste
Graham Swinbourne, 39, was seen dumping the items in a country lane in Kent He had lied to a customer, telling them that waste would be disposed of lawfullyCamera deployed by council, who say he failed to co-operate with investigationHis jailing comes just over a year after he admitted spitting at a parking warden
<!–
<!–
<!–<!–
<!–
(function (src, d, tag){
var s = d.createElement(tag), prev = d.getElementsByTagName(tag)[0];
s.src = src;
prev.parentNode.insertBefore(s, prev);
}(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/1.17.0/async_bundle- -.js”, document, “script”));
<!–
DM.loadCSS(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/gunther-2159/video_bundle- -.css”);
<!–
A man caught illegally fly-tipping household and garden waste by a hidden council camera has been jailed for six weeks.
Graham Swinbourne, 39, convinced a homeowner he would dispose of their rubbish lawfully before driving a short distance to a country lane near Gravesend in Kent.
Surveillance footage shows him dumping the haul in broad daylight in Northfleet Green Road – a fly-tipping hotspot.
The hidden camera was deployed by Gravesham council, who say he failed to cooperate with an investigation.
He was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment and also ordered to pay £156 compensation and £250 in costs.
His jailing comes just over a year after he admitted spitting at a parking warden before telling him he had Covid.
Graham Swinbourne, 39, convinced a homeowner he would dispose of their rubbish (pictured above) lawfully before driving a short distance to a country lane near Gravesend in Kent
In February 2021 Swinbourne was handed a 12-month community order and placed under a three-month curfew after admitting common assault on a Gravesham Borough Council civil enforcement officer.
The officer had been enforcing parking restrictions and body-worn CCTV footage viewed by Medway Magistrates of that incident showed Swinbourne spitting at the officer and claiming to have coronavirus.
In relation to the latest offence, Swinbourne appeared at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to several offences relating fly-tipping.
Speaking after the court hearing, Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox, Gravesham council’s cabinet member for community and leisure, said: ‘We do not tolerate fly-tipping in Gravesham and we use all powers at our disposal to identify and prosecute offenders.
‘As part of our investment in environmental enforcement we have bought and installed hidden cameras at various locations around the borough with the clear goal of bringing offenders to justice, and in this instance the evidence they provided was irrefutable.
‘Fly-tippers should beware; we can and will move our cameras. You will not know where they are or when, but the chances are they will be watching you.
Swinbourne (pictured) was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment and also ordered to pay £156 compensation and £250 in costs
‘Most of our residents are law abiding, caring citizens who want this Borough clean and tidy and want action taken against those who act in this criminal way.
‘This technology is part of our wider investment helping us tackle the scourge of fly-tipping and preventing these incidents occurring.’
Cllr Mochrie-Cox added: ‘I am grateful to the court for jailing Swinbourne, who is clearly an individual with no respect for others.
‘The sentence should send a stark warning to anyone considering dumping waste here in Gravesham: We will find you and we will take action.’
