Man given suspended prison sentence for fly-tipping

Ion Cirpaci, aged 43, of Laundry Road, Smethwick, dumped rubbish including an old toilet, broken wood, tiles, plastic sheets, wooden and plastic crates and general rubble and plaster.

He used his panel van to dump the waste in All Saints Road, Soho, on 26 and 27 July and 10 August last year. He later claiming he didn't know what to do with the waste and that he thought it was okay to leave it there.

The investigation by Birmingham City Council Waste Enforcement Unit found the van was registered to a fictitious entity but Mr Cirpaci admitted it was his when it was found at his address.

West Midlands Police in Smethwick seized the vehicle on behalf of the council.

Mr Cirpaci admitted three counts of fly-tipping, at Birmingham magistrates’ court in March this year.

He also admitted to three counts of driving without insurance, in relation to the fly-tipping incidents and two counts of providing forged insurance paperwork to council investigators.

For each of the fly-tipping and forgery convictions he was sentenced to eight months in prison, served concurrently, and suspended for two years.

For the driving offences he was immediately disqualified for three years and given eight penalty points for each offence. He was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £8,000, a victim surcharge of £154 and issued with a forfeiture order for his vehicle.

Councillor Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Fly-tipping is an environmental crime that blights neighbourhoods and shows a complete lack of respect for local communities.

“I hope this sends a clear message to anyone thinking they can get away with this sort of behaviour that, when we have evidence, we will prosecute.

“Well done to the enforcement team for their thorough investigation.”

People can report fly-tipping here.