Birmingham delivery driver rumbled after his letters found in fly-tipping

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Mathew Johwa appeared in court and claimed they "accidentally" fell out of his van in Warwickshire

A Birmingham delivery driver has been fined after his letters were found amid a pile of fly-tipped rubbish.

Mathew Johwa appeared in court and claimed they "accidentally" fell out of his van in Warwickshire.

The 65-year-old, from Birmingham, had letters found amid a pile of rubbish discovered by Rugby Borough Council environmental officers.

The pile was found in Coal Pit Lane, Willey, Rugby on September 22, 2019, CoventryLive reports.

At Coventry Magistrates Court on Thursday (January 14), Johwa pleaded not guilty to both charges.

At the hearing he explained he was a self-employed delivery driver and regularly picked up parts from a distribution centre near the lay-by in Coal Pit Lane.

He admitted to being at the lay-by on September 20, 2019 but said he stopped in there while waiting for his pick up slot at the distribution centre - something he claims to do regularly.

Johwa said while he was stopped there, the letters must have fallen out of his van.

Johwa denied being responsible for dumping the other rubbish in the lay-by, and denied receiving the section 108 notice letter, blaming issues with Royal Mail delivering post to the flats where he lived.

But magistrates dismissed Johwa's explanation and found him guilty of both charges, pointing out he had not disputed the letters discovered in the lay-by belonged to him, and he had responded to other letters from the council and received the court notice to appear before magistrates.

Johwa was fined £692 for the offences and was ordered to pay the council's costs of £1,284 and a £69 victim surcharge.

Speaking after the hearing, Cllr Howard Roberts, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for environment and public realm, said: "Fly-tipping costs taxpayers thousands of pounds a year and we have been firm in our commitment to investigate every incident in the borough.

"In this case, Mr Johwa's repeated failure to co-operate with our environmental protection team during the investigation left us with no other option but to take the matter to court, where magistrates rejected his explanations for how his mail was found in the lay-by and why he failed to comply with a Section 108 notice.

"Both the fine and the awarding of the council's considerable costs demonstrate the courts treat fly-tipping as seriously as we do."