A Tyrone man has received a suspended sentence following the discovery of an illegal landfill site containing waste from the Republic of Ireland.
Patrick Nugent of Altaglushan Road, Galbally, Dungannon was sentenced to two-years imprisonment suspended for three years at Dungannon Crown court for breaches of environmental legislation.
He had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of keeping of waste and also of causing pollution of the environment or harm to human health.
Investigation costs of over £1,900 were also awarded to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA).
NIEA officers investigated the site on the Reclain Road, Dungannon during 2015/16 where an estimated 318 tonnes of baled and loose waste from the Republic of Ireland had been illegally deposited and buried.
This waste included plastic food packaging, newspapers, clothing, children’s toys, domestic waste, personal letters and mixed commercial waste.
NIEA is currently working with officials from the Republic of Ireland on the repatriation of the waste back to the Republic of Ireland.
A linked proceeds of crime investigation being conducted by NIEA officers in relation to the offending carried out by Mr Nugent will also be concluded in due course.
The defendant pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for three years for each, under the following Articles of the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, one charge under Article 4(1)(b), in relation to the keeping of waste and one charge under Article 4(1)(c) in relation to keeping waste in the manner likely to pollute environment or harm human health.