Man jailed after dumping 1,200 tonnes of waste in Uckfield

A Sussex man who went on the run after dumping more than 1,200 tonnes of waste in Uckfield has been jailed this week.
The court heard how more than 1,200 tonnes of waste was dumped on the Uckfield siteThe court heard how more than 1,200 tonnes of waste was dumped on the Uckfield site
The court heard how more than 1,200 tonnes of waste was dumped on the Uckfield site

Tom McCabe, aged 32, of Sea Lane in Worthing, West Sussex appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Monday, August 22 and pleaded guilty to dumping waste wood for illegal profit on the Squires Industrial Estate in Easons Green.

The Environment Agency say he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and ordered to pay £3,000 in costs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Whilst passing sentence, Judge Hayward said: “This was an appalling tale and took place with no thought for the landowner. He leased the land, took money for the waste and then evaded detection.”

The court heard that in January 2012, Mr McCabe set up a waste company, Matrix Bio Logistics, specialising in the storage and processing of waste wood with his partner, Miss Kim Box. The Environment Agency granted Mr McCabe a permit for this activity but imposed strict conditions, including a limit of 500 tonnes of wood waste to be on the site in any seven day period.

In February that year, just four weeks after the permit was granted, the amount of waste wood stored on site was over 1,200 tonnes, 2.5 times the agreed limit. The Environment Agency say they served a notice requiring Mr McCabe to clear the site. They say he ignored it, sold the company for £1 and went on the run.

As the Environment Agency’s specialist crime officers continued to trace Mr McCabe’s whereabouts, his partner Kim Box was sentenced at Hove Crown Court in July 2015 to a 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work. Judge Hayward acknowledged Miss Box was not the main operator of the business and that all efforts should be made to find McCabe as he was “a crook”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

McCabe was eventually apprehended while trying to board a plane to Dubai at Heathrow airport. The responsibility to clear the site of the huge pile of wood left by McCabe now falls to the landowners and will cost them between £100,000 to £200,000 to remove all the waste.

Ian Walton of the Environment Agency said: “I am pleased with the verdict as this case sends a clear message to unscrupulous waste operators that crime does not pay and we will take all measures to ensure offenders face justice. As a result of his activities, Mr McCabe left a huge mountain of waste behind which has been a serious blight on the local community.”

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

1) Make our website your homepage at www.sussexexpress.co.uk/

2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Sussex-Express/

3) Follow us on Twitter @sussex_express

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Sussex Express - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.

Related topics: