Persistent Calderdale fly-tipper who described himself as a “recycling coordinator” on Facebook is jailed

On his Facebook page prolific offender Malcolm Pinder described his work as “a recycling coordinator” at a waste disposal firm, but in reality he was a long-standing heroin addict with an appalling record who had appeared before the courts more than 100 times mainly for low-level dishonesty.

But Bradford Crown Court heard today (Tues) that 44-year-old Pinder had swapped shoplifting for fly-tipping as a way of earning cash to feed his Class A drug habit.

Back in June 2017 Pinder, of Arum Street, Bradford, was made the subject of a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order when he was given a three-month jail sentence for fly-tipping, but Judge Jonathan Rose said today that prison sentences, arrests and subsequent court appearances had had no impact on him.

Calderdale council prosecutor Chris Riley outlined details of a series of incidents were Pinder had been seen illegally dumping waste material over walls and on land often in residential areas.

Pinder was responsible for fly-tipping at nine sites between December 2018 and June this year and Judge Rose said he had “cared not one jot” where he left the waste as long as it was out of his hands and he received money for his heroin addiction.

Pinder was sentenced for a series of offences under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act and repeated breaches of the Criminal Behaviour Order imposed back in June 2017.

He was found guilty of 10 of the offences when he failed to attend a trial hearing at the magistrates court, but he also admitted a further four charges.

Mr Riley indicated that the cost to the council for clearing up the waste dumped by Pinder was £1350.

The heard how Pinder was seen in August 2019 using a wheelbarrow to move two sofas which he dumped in the Clarence Street area.

The next day he was seen with “a wheelbarrow piled high with rubble” which was about the fly-tip in Parkinson Lane, but he was warned off by a council warden.

In the summer of 2019 he was also seen dumping waste from a wheelie bin over the wall of a new-build estate.

Pinder was remanded in custody by magistrates last month after he was arrested on a warrant for failing to turn up at court and today Judge Rose was told that he was now addressing his drug problem and taking methadone.

“You have an appalling criminal history,” the judge told Pinder.

“This by my calculation will be your 109th appearance for criminal offences.”

Judge Rose said there was a danger in describing the offending as fly-tipping because that may sound like it was not something serious when in fact it was serious because it violates the country in which we live.

“People are entitled to live in an environment that is not desecrated by men like you,” he told Pinder via a video link to HMP Leeds.

Judge Rose said Pinder had announced his “business” on Facebook where his profile claimed he had been involved in such work since 2012.

He said the only sentence that could be imposed for “deliberate and persistent” offending, and offending for money, was a prison sentence and one of some substance.

The judge made no order for costs against Pinder, but he did impose a new five-year Criminal Behaviour Order aimed at preventing further fly-tipping.