Jail terms for brothers for storing ‘large amounts’ of household waste at quarry

In a statement yesterday (14 November), the EA said it brought charges against ex-teacher Liam Winters and his brother, Mark Winters for improperly disposing of significant amounts of household and commercial waste at Codicote Quarry near the A1 for nearly three years.

The statement said that the pair were sentenced at St Albans crown court, with Liam Winters ordered to serve 17 months in prison, while Mark Winters received a 12-month prison term, suspended for 2 years. Additionally, the court imposed an 8-year ban on the brothers serving as company directors.

The EA reported that Mr Liam Winters sentence also took into account previous crimes committed which saw a third individual Nicholas Bramwell also prosecuted.

Investigations

Under Judge Caroline Wigin’s oversight, it was revealed that Codicote Quarry, managed by the brothers, had permission from the Environment Agency to handle a limited amount of soil waste. However, investigations revealed that the site exceeded the permitted quantity, the statement said.

The amassed material consisted of household, commercial, and industrial waste, including electronics, automotive parts, furniture, food packaging, wood, and metal. The EA reported that approximately 200,000 cubic meters of prohibited and potentially hazardous materials accumulated during this period.

According to the EA despite numerous inspections by Hertfordshire county council and the EA the waste continued to grow and decay.

Additionally, the brothers were found burying waste at depths exceeding 12 meters in certain areas, concealed under a layer of chalk. Consequently, the Environment Agency suspended the quarry’s permit in November 2017 due to the accumulation of illegal and contaminated waste. The EA said that the brothers failed to comply despite having received two notices to remove the waste.

In separate hearings in February, the brothers admitted to four identical charges related to accepting and storing waste at Codicote Quarry between January 2015 and November 2017, either outside the specified conditions or without a permit. They also faced charges for ignoring the suspension notice to halt operations.

During the 20 October 2023 hearing, decisions regarding costs or confiscation orders against the individuals and Codicote Quarry Ltd were deferred for later consideration.

‘Strong message’

Barry Russell, environment manager for the Environment Agency in Hertfordshire, said: “We hope that prison for Liam Winters and a suspended term for Mark Winters sends out a strong message that we will prosecute waste site operators who do not follow the rules for disposal.

“The operation of an illegal waste site without regard for the environment and the law has the potential to harm our natural resources, blight communities and undermine the legitimate businesses who do stick to the law.

He added: “Our role is to protect the environment for people and wildlife, so we won’t hesitate to act against those who put either at risk. To anyone flouting the rules, our message is clear: you won’t get away with it.”