Up to 150 bags of refuse piled in back garden

When a Meath County Council environmental official visited a house in a Navan housing estate, he found between 100-150 bags of domestic waste piled up in the back garden, Navan District Court was told on Friday.

A resident of the house, John Stokes, Elm View Close, appeared at the court charged with four offences under the Waste Management Act between October 2020 and November 2021. He pleaded guilty. A summons against his wife Shirley was withdrawn at the court.

The council’s environmental official gave evidence handed in photographs of the accumulated waste which he said was "very large". He said that following the inspections the council’s main concern was that there might be infestation of rodents due to the degradation of the rubbish. The inspection had followed a complaint by a member of the public.

The official said that defendant had been instructed to clear up the waste and have that task carried out by an authorised collector but hadn’t done so. He said he had carried out an inspection on the morning of the court hearing and there was no longer any waste in the garden. The defendant had no previous convictions.

Defending solicitor William O’Reilly said that his client had four children, two of whom were on the autism spectrum. He had gone through some difficult times and had fallen behind in relation to dealing with the pollution mater. He wanted to apologise and would not let this kind of incident happen again.

Judge Miriam Walsh said she could not understand for the life of her how anyone could live in these circumstances.

When the judge asked about his personal circumstances he said he was unemployed and was paid €340 social welfare, €550 in children’s allowances, had fuel allowance, back-to-school allowance, medical card and paid €56 a week in rent. The judge remarked: "When you tot that up, sir, your income from the taxpayer would surpass that of many people who go out to work every day. Many of them have less disposable income than you. You, sir, have let this refuse build up to disgusting conditions."

She imposed a fine of €150, with a two-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered him to pay costs of €1,166.