Thomas Coulter of Alliance Court, Belfast, was sentenced at Laganside Crown Court on 25 June 2026 after admitting three breaches of waste management legislation.
The court heard that the offences related to the unauthorised deposit and keeping of controlled waste at two sites on the Crumlin Road in Belfast.
Waste discovered across the two sites included black bagged household waste, timber, plastics, metals, mattresses, cardboard and food wrappings.
Coulter received a nine-month custodial sentence on each charge, to run concurrently. Two further charges were left on the books.
A spokesperson for NIEA’s Environmental Crime Unit said: “The illegal handling and disposal of waste undermines legitimate businesses, damages the environment, and puts communities at risk.
“In this case, the defendant showed a blatant disregard for the law and for the harm caused by their actions. The polluting waste has since been removed and remediated by NIEA at a cost to the public purse.”
Waste dump investigated in 2020
The prosecution followed an investigation by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), which uncovered illegal waste activity dating back to 2020.
NIEA officials first attended a site at Edenderry Industrial Estate on Crumlin Road on 16 June 2020, where they observed household waste being stored inside a unit.
A further inspection was carried out on 17 July at a second site adjacent to a car washing facility on the same road, where officers found similar waste deposits.
Subsequent checks by the agency confirmed that neither site held the necessary waste authorisations required for the lawful deposit or storage of controlled waste.
Under caution, Coulter admitted operating a waste collection service during Covid restrictions under the names A1 Recycling Ltd and Binit.
He told investigators he had collected waste from residential and commercial premises before depositing it at the unauthorised sites.
The court heard that both locations were situated in residential neighbourhoods and lacked the infrastructure and environmental safeguards required for lawful waste management.
NIEA later carried out remediation works, removing 367 tonnes of waste and transporting it to an authorised facility, at a cost to the public purse.
The spokesperson added: “NIEA will continue to work to bring offenders before the courts, and will not hesitate to pursue custodial sentences for those involved in significant waste criminality.”
Join enforcement agencies, local authorities, waste management companies and policy makers to get to grips with the new regulatory landscape at the National Waste Crime Conference 2026 on 3 November 2026 in London – find out more here.
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