A Confiscation Order totalling £70,000 has been granted by the Crown Court sitting at Newry on 28th June 2023 against Mr. Bernard Hughes (60), Cullaville Road Crossmaglen. This is the second order made against Mr. Hughes in relation to environmental offending.
In 2004 officers of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) conducted an investigation into the disposal of controlled waste on lands owned by Mr Hughes.
Following the NIEA investigation Mr. Hughes, was convicted on 24 November 2008 by the Crown Court sitting in Newry for offences contrary to Article 4 of the Waste and Contaminated Land (NI) Order 1997. The criminal benefit generated from his offending was calculated to be £100,000.
On the 12 February 2016 a Confiscation Order was granted by the Crown Court totalling £50,000 which equated to the value of the available assets held by Mr. Hughes at that time.
Mr. Hughes was granted three months to pay the confiscation order or serve fourteen months imprisonment in default of payment. Mr. Hughes’ failure to pay the confiscation order resulted in him being imprisoned to serve the default sentence.
Due to Mr. Hughes failure to pay the original confiscation; this case was revisited by the NIEA. The Confiscation Order granted by the Crown Court sitting at Newry on the 28 June is a revised assessment of the available amount that can be recovered from Mr. Hughes, which includes interest accrued from the original Confiscation Order granted in 2016.
A further default sentence of four months was granted should Mr. Hughes fail to pay the latest Confiscation Order.
ENDS
CLANRYE NEWS 