A former builder who profited nearly £3 million by permitting the dumping of deadly asbestos on his land has been sentenced to 32 months in jail. Christopher Garrett, 64, allowed 12,000 tonnes of hazardous waste to be disposed of on his property in Devon over four years.
Exeter Crown Court was informed that the cost to decontaminate the toxic land would be £2.5 million, but the authorities have admitted there are no funds available for the cleanup, leaving the land in its contaminated state.
Garrett, of Kingsteignton, Devon, had a prior conviction for similar offences on the same land and resumed his illegal activities in 2016, despite a suspended jail term and explicit warnings from a judge to cease his operations.
The court heard that Garrett admitted to treating controlled waste in a manner likely to cause pollution or harm to human health between July 2018 and May 2022, as well as permitting activity in contravention of an environmental permit. In addition to his prison sentence, Garrett faces a £200,000 confiscation order, which will be enforced when his home next to the affected area is sold.
Judge James Adkin condemned Garrett’s actions, stating, “You were unable to resist the lure of significant sums of money to discharge the waste on the land. You did not care about the environment.” He described the offence as “industrial scale environmental contamination by an individual.
The prosecution revealed that the contaminated land is now toxic and has no value. Garrett’s illicit activities resulted in a benefit figure of £2,888,548, which includes the cost of remediation.
Garrett’s defense lawyer acknowledged his client’s culpability, admitting, “It’s a bad history, I accept that.
Despite repeated warnings from the Environment Agency and aggressive behaviour towards enforcement staff, Garrett continued to allow large quantities of waste to be illegally deposited on his land. Holes drilled at the site revealed different types of asbestos buried there, including some of the most harmful kinds. Garrett was paid in cash by those dumping the waste to avoid more costly and legal disposal methods.
The court heard that 1,500 vehicle loads of waste were dumped at the site, with the waste reaching 1.2 meters deep and occupying 10,000 cubic meters.
The Environment Agency condemned Garrett as a repeat offender with no regard for the environment or human health. Garrett is a repeat offender who showed no care for the environment or human health. Asbestos was buried within a floodplain. He is the worst offender in Devon and Cornwall for the quantity of asbestos he illegally disposed of,” said a spokesperson.
