Man given prison sentence for 367 tonnes of unauthorised waste offence
Date published:
Thomas Coulter (46) of Alliance Court, Belfast was convicted at Laganside Crown Court on 25 June 2026 for three breaches of waste management legislation.
Mr Coulter pleaded guilty on three charges and was given a nine-month custodial sentence on each charge, to run concurrently. The offences related to the unauthorised deposit and keeping of controlled waste at two sites on the Crumlin Road, Belfast. Two further charges were left on the books.
On the 16 of June 2020, Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) officials attended a site in the Edenderry Industrial Estate on the Crumlin Road, Belfast and observed household waste being stored in a unit. Officers conducted a further visit on the 17 of July to a site adjacent to a Car Washing facility on the Crumlin Road and noted similar types of waste deposited. This waste included such items as black bin bag waste, timber, plastics, metals, mattresses, cardboard and food wrappings. Checks confirmed that no waste authorisations were in place to allow for the lawful depositing and keeping of waste on either of the two sites. Under caution, Mr Coulter admitted that during COVID restrictions, he operated a waste collection service under the names A1 Recycling Ltd and Binit, collecting waste from residential and commercial premises and depositing the waste on the two sites. The sites were in residential neighbourhoods with no proper infrastructure or environmental safeguards in place.
The NIEA subsequently remediated the site, removing 367 tonnes of waste to a site authorised to accept it.
A spokesperson from the Environmental Crime Unit of NIEA said: “This sentencing sends a clear message that waste crime will not be tolerated. The illegal handling and disposal of waste undermines legitimate businesses, damages the environment, and puts communities at risk. In this case, the defendant showed a blatant disregard for the law and for the harm caused by their actions. The polluting waste has since been removed and remediated by NIEA at a cost to the public purse. NIEA will continue to work to bring offenders before the courts, and will not hesitate to pursue custodial sentences for those involved in significant waste criminality.”
Mr Coulter pleaded guilty to three waste charges under The Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.
Notes to editors:
1. Mr Thomas Coulter pleaded guilty under the following Articles of the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997:
Two x Article 4(1)(a) relating to: the deposit of controlled waste, or knowingly causing the deposit of controlled waste in or on any land except under and in accordance with a waste management licence.
One x Article 4(1)(b) relating to: the keeping of controlled waste, or knowingly keeping controlled waste in or on any land except under and in accordance with a waste management licence.
2. If charges are ‘left on the books’ they can be reactivated at a later stage, subject to permission from the Crown Court or the Court of Appeal.
3. Follow DAERA on X formerly called Twitter and Facebook.
4. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office: pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk or telephone: 028 9016 3460.
5. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours’ service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.