Skip hire boss guilty of eco court charges

8:00am Wednesday 22nd August 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Julia Breen

FOUND GUILTY: Raymond Anthony Shepherd FOUND GUILTY: Raymond Anthony Shepherd

A SKIP hire boss accused of serious environmental breaches was yesterday found guilty on all counts.

Raymond Anthony Shepherd and his firm, Albert Hill Skip Hire, faced ten charges of operating sites in Dodsworth Street and Whessoe Road, Darlington, between 2008 and 2010 without Environment Agency permits.

A five-week trial at Teesside Crown Court, during which Shepherd represented himself, heard that the Environment Agency made repeated visits to the site and issued enforcement notices, but operators failed to clean up.

The court heard that a fire at the Dodsworth Street site in March 2010 produced orange smoke, which was investigated.

Officials found the site in a “shocking” state.

Mixed waste was being stored on permeable surfaces and the drainage on the site was inadequate.

However, Shepherd argued he was “enthusiastic in avoiding pollution”. He told the court: “Even when there was the fire at Dodsworth Street in 2010, the water used to put it out went into the nearby river and there was never any sign of pollution.”

A jury took a day of deliberations to find Shepherd, a director of the firm, and the company itself, guilty of all ten charges.

Shepherd, of West Musgrave Farm, St Helen Auckland, County Durham, will be sentenced at a later date.

After the hearing, Graeme Hull, from the Environment Agency said: “The environmental permit was in place to minimise any risk of pollution to the environment. In breaching the permit, the company and Raymond Anthony Shepherd showed a blatant disregard for the environment and the law.

“We hope this court case shows that people who seek to maximise their profits at the expense of the environment and ignore advice and guidance can expect to be investigated and prosecuted.

“The Environment Agency wants to make sure serious waste crime doesn’t pay. We have both specialist and local crime teams set up to catch criminals, and we take these offences very seriously.”

Shepherd refused to comment after the case.

Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for leisure and local environment, paid tribute to officers from the council, police, Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive involved in dealing with the case.

He said: “At times, it has taken a great deal of resources, and also bravery and courage to stick to doing what they know was right and officers have not flinched from that.

“In this period, Mr Shepherd has tried to convince agencies, and the people of Darlington, that he was operating a legitimate company within the law, but it has taken a great deal of public expense and time to prove otherwise.

“This company and this man are public menaces.”

Comments(16)

Shepherds crook says...
5:48pm Wed 22 Aug 12

At long last, Well done the EA & DBC. It can't have been easy dealing with this gentleman. Let us hope the sentence is punitive. I think the Echo has its facts wrong Mr Shepherd wasn't a director of the company but was the controlling power behind Albert Hill Skip Hire Ltd. Let us hope he doesn't continue in some other guise. I await with interest the Judges decision.

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Homshaw1 says...
5:49pm Wed 22 Aug 12

Bravery and Courage - Has someone physically or verbally threatened these people?

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Shepherds crook says...
5:53pm Wed 22 Aug 12

Yes, You will see an article on Paul Shepherd (brother & director of AHSH) in the Echo archive for assaulting an E.A. Officer.

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vauxhall007 says...
8:38pm Wed 22 Aug 12

Raymond Anthony Shepherd was the Director of Albert Hill Skip Hire at the time of the offences for which he was successfully prosecuted, when the heat got onto him by the EA & DBC, his brother Paul Stuart Shepherd became the new Director of Albert Hill Skip Hire, cant wait to see Paul Stuart Shepherd in Court, in respect of offences comitted since he took over the Directorship of Albert Hill Skip Hire, everyone knows Paul Stuart is only a front man, its still Raymond Anthony Shepherd is the MAIN MAN.
His punishment from the Court should take into consideration the excessive cost this prosecution, due to his attempt to manipulate the system.
The Judge and the jury seen through him and realised he knew he was breaking the law.

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vauxhall007 says...
8:44pm Wed 22 Aug 12

I forgot to thank Darlington Borough Council, the Environment Agency and the jury for showing patience and determination, in obtaining a successful result, when Raymond Anthony Shepherd was asked in Court, who is the main person behind Albert Hill Skip Hire, Raymond Anthony Shepherd took a period memory loss. I would urge people in the area if you see anyone breaking dumping rules, to report them to the authorities and dont take the attitude ""ITS NOT IN MY BACK YARD""

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NO EINSTEIN says...
8:52pm Wed 22 Aug 12

He should never of left Slade, it is him isn't it,,,

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Homshaw1 says...
10:22pm Wed 22 Aug 12

Might be in Slade as in "Doing Porridge"?

Can't find this assault story

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Homshaw1 says...
10:23pm Wed 22 Aug 12

Might be in Slade as in "Doing Porridge"?

Can't find this assault story

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vauxhall007 says...
12:39am Thu 23 Aug 12

If you visit the two sites now, you will probably see them still processing waste without a licence, the only way they will learn is to award them with a holiday courtesy of Her Majestys Pleasure, otherwise they just stick the fingers up at the Law of the land.

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Shepherds crook says...
6:08am Thu 23 Aug 12

To Homshaw 1 Assault article was 30th March 8.am 2011

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Homshaw1 says...
10:44am Thu 23 Aug 12

vauxhall007 wrote:
If you visit the two sites now, you will probably see them still processing waste without a licence, the only way they will learn is to award them with a holiday courtesy of Her Majestys Pleasure, otherwise they just stick the fingers up at the Law of the land.
That's the law and officials for you

It costs more in both time and money to bring the charges than it costs the villian either by way of a fine or time in prison

If the case is proven why is the business still operating?

If it is still operating should this not be a major factor when determining the sentence?

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NO EINSTEIN says...
6:57pm Thu 23 Aug 12

Homshaw1 wrote:
Might be in Slade as in "Doing Porridge"?

Can't find this assault story
That is an absolutely brilliant link, your a clever person Homeshaw1, i mean that.

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vauxhall007 says...
12:12am Fri 24 Aug 12

Albert Hill Skip Hire still operating, delivering and collecting skips, and GUESS who was driving the lorry?????, certain people dont seem to learn and some people just dont care about the legal system. I wonder who is receiving and processing the waste now, probably an associate company who still has a licence and i dont mean a DOG LICENCE

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calumannabel says...
5:17pm Fri 24 Aug 12

Isn't this fella one of Status Quo?

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vauxhall007 says...
1:58am Mon 27 Aug 12

The residents adjoinging West Musgrave Farm have suffered further distress this weekend, further loads of onions where dumped which are being feed to the cows, by Paul Shepherd and his son Richard JACK Shepherd, despite assurances given last year that this practice would stop. Paul Stuart Shepherd who occupies the West Musgrave Farmhouse, which has no electricity, after it was disconnected by the electricity supply company due to electicity being used illegally after tampering.
When will the authorities take action against this nusiance, illegal dumping, electricity theft, open collection tank at the rear of the house which collects farm slurry and seepage from the onions, dangerous uncovered manholes, if a child where to fall into the open collection tank or down one of the uncovered manholes, an accident like this would probably be fatal. ACTION IS NEEDED NOW

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lindybop says...
6:12pm Wed 5 Sep 12

and another load of onions came in roughly 5.15pm today

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