The first person to be successfully extradited to Northern Ireland by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) to face charges relating to waste criminality has been sentenced to fines totalling £1,500,
Micheal Meegan, aged 57, of Drumbilla, Skyhill, Co. Louth was also handed down a £60 offender levy at Newry Crown Court yesterday (Thursday, October 17) for two breaches of waste management legislation.
Meegan pleaded guilty to two of four waste offences on November, 8 2024, the other two remaining on the books.
Officers from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) inspected a site, rented by Meegan at 75 Ballsmill Road Crossmaglen on November, 17 2017 where they discovered 55 end-of-life-vehicles (ELVs).
It was established by an NIEA officer that Meegan was “in control of the site”. According to the NIEA he failed to remain at the site to allow NIEA officers to “discuss the presence of the ELVs”.
The environment agency issued a notice to Meegan to “cease activity” on December 1, 2017, after they had established that there were no licenses or other authorisations in place to permit vehicle breaking on site in Crossmaglen.
He was also ordered to remove the waste and supply paperwork to the NIEA to prove its lawful disposal. This work was to be completed by February 1, 2018.
An additional six site inspections by NIEA officers between February 2018 and September 2019 showed that Meegan had not compiled with the notice and that further ELV waste was being “deposited, kept, and treated on the site”.
Controlled waste
According to the NIEA during its investigations controlled waste was found at 75 Ballsmill Road Crossmaglen which consisted of up to 100 ELVs which included lorries and heavy plant machinery, cars, tyres, chemical/oil drums, lead acid batteries, vehicle parts and paint cans.
The environment agency has detailed that after three attempts to serve summons an arrest warrant was granted in March 2023 for Meegan.
This lead to an international warrant being issued for Meegan in August 2023.
He was detained on January 5, 2024 and returned to the jurisdiction on January 24, 2024 where he was to remain until the trial was heard.
Meehan yesterday pleaded guilty to two waste charges and was fined on two counts of £750 each, a total of £1,500 and court costs of £60.
The charges related to the “unauthorised treating and keeping of controlled waste”.
