A man who ran illegal waste operations at three separate sites across Wales has been ordered to repay £322,500.
Between October 2018 and October 2019, Stephen John Williams, 69, organised the illegal deposit of 2,600 tonnes of contaminated textile waste at sites in Caerphilly, Cowbridge and Dolgellau.
At Cardiff Crown Court on 3 October 2025, Williams was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment suspended for 2 years and ordered to pay £322,500 under the Proceeds of Crime Act. He must also complete five rehabilitation activity days.
At Pen Yr Heol Las Farm in Caerphilly, Natural Resources Wales’s NRW officers discovered 1,843 tonnes of baled textile waste contaminated with general refuse.
Williams had claimed it was intended for equine purposes, but it was deemed unsuitable and posed a significant fire risk. Despite being served with a legal notice to remove the waste, Williams failed to comply.
In this case, Stephen Williams demonstrated a sustained disregard for environmental law.
In Cowbridge, 260 tonnes of similar waste were found at a unit on Crossways Industrial Estate. NRW served Williams with a legal notice to remove the waste to an authorised waste facility, but he failed to comply. The landowners, who had no involvement in the operation, were left to pay £48,790 to clear the waste.
At Hengwrt in Dolgellau, NRW officers found 527 tonnes of waste, including clothing, carpets, foam and mattresses. Again, Williams failed to comply with a legal notice to clear the site.
The court determined that Williams benefited £470,189.41 from his environmental crimes based on income from the unlawful deposit of waste across the three sites, the avoided landfill tax costs, and interest accrued since 2019.
Williams’ available assets, primarily equity in property, were valued at £322,500, and he was ordered to repay that amount within three months or receive a custodial sentence of three years and six months, which cannot be suspended.
The charges against Williams and his companies included operating waste sites without environmental permits, mixing and storing contaminated waste, and failing to take proper steps as a waste broker to prevent illegal deposits by others.
Su Fernandez, Senior Enforcement Officer for NRW, commented: “In this case, Stephen Williams demonstrated a sustained disregard for environmental law. The waste posed a significant fire risk and left landowners facing substantial clean-up costs. Despite being served with legal notices, Mr Williams failed to take action.
“We welcome the outcome of this case and hope it sends a clear message that NRW will not tolerate the illegal disposal of waste.”