A man from County Durham has been sentenced for illegally dumping waste on his rural land near Consett, after being described as “arrogant” by a judge.

Peter Snailum, 64, of Whitworth, Spennymoor, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Wednesday, 16 October 2024, where he pleaded guilty to two offences of depositing waste without an environmental permit. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order and must complete 90 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard that between January and March 2020, excavation waste was transported from a construction site in Consett to Snailum’s land at School House Farm, Kiln Pit Hill, where it was dumped illegally. Despite having a registered waste exemption allowing limited waste activity for construction purposes, Snailum exceeded the permitted 1,000 tonnes, with over 5,000 tonnes of waste found at the site.

An investigation by the Environment Agency revealed that Snailum’s intentions were not for construction but rather to level the land, an activity requiring an environmental permit. Judge Joanne Kidd criticised Snailum for taunting Environment Agency officers, suggesting they prosecute him as he believed he would only receive a fine.

The judge further condemned Snailum for initially denying the charges and prolonging the case despite overwhelming evidence.

Warnings Ignored

Gary Wallace, area environment manager for the Environment Agency in the North East, commented:
“Waste crime such as this has a negative impact on the environment and local communities, and Snailum was warned he was breaching the law. His actions also undermined legitimate businesses as he made financial gains by not properly and legally disposing of the waste.”

He added, “I hope this case sends out the message to others that we take waste crime seriously, and those involved can expect to be put before the courts for their actions.”

Evidence of Illegal Activity

Prosecutor Holly Clegg informed the court that Environment Agency officers first visited the site in January 2020 after receiving reports of waste dumping. They observed metal and timber mixed with soil and stone, with the waste already nearing the 1,000-tonne limit of Snailum’s exemption. He was instructed to stop accepting further waste.

However, follow-up visits revealed that additional deposits continued, exceeding the exemption limits. By 2 March, Snailum was ordered to cease accepting waste. Waste transfer records later confirmed that over 5,000 tonnes of material had been deposited between January and March 2020. In early 2021, Snailum again allowed a large deposit of supposedly crushed MDF, which was contaminated with other waste types.