Monthly Archives: February 2013

Aberdeenshire man fined for environment offences

Brian Watson (48) was today fined £11,250 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for allowing controlled waste to be deposited on his land and for failing to remove it.

He had previously pled guilty to the contraventions of sections 33(1)(a) and 59(1)(a) and (5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 on 8 October 2012. The offences occurred between February and November 2011 at Coneyhatch Farm, north of Stonehaven.

Brian Watson trades as E Watson and Son and is in the business of groundwork, plant hire, haulage, skip hire, site clearances and tipper hire. He allowed several thousand tonnes of waste to be deposited at Coneyhatch Farm which included plastics, metal, wood, paint tins, tyres, electrical equipment, demolition waste, general waste and green waste.

In September 2011, after months of attempting to assist Watson, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) required him to clear the waste up. Instead of complying, Watson allowed more waste to be deposited at the site.

Craig Harris, Procurator Fiscal, Wildlife and Environment said

“Brian Watson repeatedly failed to adhere to the requests of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency to meet the legal standards required of him. He allowed thousands of tonnes of waste to be dumped at his site.

“Today Mr Watson has been brought to justice for his complete disregard of his duty towards the environment.”

Inverurie man’s assets seized

£187,300 CONFISCATED FROM MAN WHO EMBEZZLED FROM ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL

At Aberdeen Sheriff Court today, a Confiscation Order for £187,300 was made against Jack Downie under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

Downie, of Inverurie, pleaded guilty on 16 February 2012 to embezzling £386,004.12 from Aberdeen City Council between 2 August 2006 and 7 September 2010. He was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment on 22 March 2012.

Lindsey Miller, Head of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s Serious and Organised Crime Division, and the current POCA champion, said:

“Jack Downie embezzled hundreds of thousands of pounds from the public purse for over four years. This was a significant breach of trust where he betrayed the responsibility of his position and stole from the public he was supposed to be serving.

“We are satisfied that this £187,300 confiscation order represents the amount of money available to us at this time, on the basis that is the total value of his assets he can sell to pay the order.

“This money will be added to the £60 million already gathered from Proceeds of Crime and will be re-invested by Scottish Ministers through the CashBack for Communities programme.”

Scottish Parliament to meet at traveller site

Gypsy/Traveller site near Aberdeen to host parliamentary meeting

Clinterty Gypsy/Traveller’s site near Aberdeen will host a meeting of the Equal Opportunities Committee on Monday 4 February 2013 as part of its inquiry into Where Gypsy/Travellers Live.

The committee has already visited sites in Perth and Kinross, Argyll & Bute, Edinburgh and the Lothians as part of the inquiry. It also heard evidence from Gypsy/Traveller Liaison Officers, site managers, community councils, voluntary organisations, the police, the NHS and local authorities.

Committee Convener Mary Fee MSP said:

“It is fitting that we hold our committee meeting at Clinterty Gypsy/Traveller’s site as it gives us the opportunity to see where the community lives, in an area of Scotland that has already generated a lot of public interest on the subject.

“Equally important is the ‘Dialogue Day’ session which will allow us to bring together people who hold mixed views on issues such as facilities, cultural differences, policing and unauthorised sites. Our aim is to pool all our evidence to date and look at the solutions going forward.”

The Equal Opportunities Committee will take part in an informal ‘Dialogue Day’ session hosted by Grampian Regional Equality Council (GREC) on Monday 4 February. Representatives from Clinterty Gypsy/Traveller site, Aberdeen Council, Aberdeenshire Council, the NHS and Grampian Police will also participate.