EFFORTS to extract more than £2m from a businessman who went to jail for the illegal dumping of waste will now have to wait until the New Year.
Raymond Shepherd, of Rookhope, in Weardale, County Durham, appeared at Teesside Crown Court for the start of an expected five day proceeds of crime hearing brought by the Environment Agency.
But the case failed to go ahead and was adjourned by Judge Tony Briggs until February 20 next year partly in order to give the businessman more time in order to secure legal representation.
Shepherd, who was unrepresented in court, had a previous barrister withdraw from the proceedings last September.
Shepherd was accused of not caring about the law or the environment during his stewardship of Darlington firm Albert Hill Skip Hire.
More than £2.1m went through the company’s accounts and the eventual cost of disposing of a mountain of rubbish at its rented Dodsworth Street site was put at £600,000.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article