Overview
- Four men, who were found guilty at Kingston Crown Court, were sentenced Monday for conspiring to dump controlled waste across London.
- Patrick Doherty received 28 months in prison, Martin Ward got 18 months, and Michael Ward and Simon O’Donnell were given 14-month terms suspended for two years.
- The gang broke into vacant sites and used tipper trucks to pile tyres, furniture and building debris at six locations including Colliers Wood, Imperial Way in Croydon, Mitcham, Carshalton and two in New Malden.
- They tried to hide by smashing cameras, masking faces and covering number plates, and the damage included a £300,000 clean-up in Croydon and a £15,000 bill in Colliers Wood after a refused £5,000 demand.
- Officials describe waste crime as a major national problem, and the government has set a 48-hour on-site response target and pledged an extra £45 million over three years to strengthen enforcement.