Witness gets £100 reward as fly-tipper sentenced
City of Wolverhampton CouncilA woman who illegally dumped broken furniture and household waste has been prosecuted, prompting a witness in the case to get a £100 reward.
Aimee Brinsley was seen moving furniture, cushions and loose waste from a property in Treynham Close in Wolverhampton towards open land at Stowheath Green, in February last year.
Footage of the removal was sent to City of Wolverhampton Council by the witness, who kept in touch with the authority to inform them the waste had been dumped near high-rise flats at Winston Churchill Court.
Brinsley was given a 12-month community order for her crime, while the witness was given a gift card as a reward.
Brinsley initially denied dumping the waste but admitted she owned a broken sofa that featured in the photographs.
She then failed to pay a fixed-penalty notice and did not attend a formal interview when the case was referred to court.
The defendant also failed to attend her first hearing, prompting police to get a warrant for her arrest.
'Fly-tipping a dreadful blight'
However, last month she pleaded guilty to one count of depositing controlled waste and one of failing to respond to a request for interview.
She was sentenced to a 12-month community order, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation days.
She was also ordered to pay £500 in costs and a victim surcharge of £114.
The council said its costs would be invested back into its environmental crime department - including its Shop a Tipper scheme, CCTV cameras and fines.
"Fly-tipping is a dreadful blight on our city and it remains a priority for the council to tackle," said cabinet member for resident services Bhupinder Gakhal.
"This case shows that you cannot get away with ignoring our officers. I'm delighted that we've been able to bring this case to court and that there has been such a positive outcome.
"I am also very grateful to our local residents who provide us with the information we need to be able to investigate these kind of offences."
Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
