A Birmingham fly-tipper who dumped three bags of rubbish on a city street during the 2024 bin strike and then tried to blame someone else has been ordered to pay £1,560.
Nelu Marius Putulan, 55, of Golds Hill Road, pleaded guilty to illegal waste dumping when he appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court. The Romanian national left three large bags and loose waste from his vehicle on Crick Lane on June 30, 2024.
When contacted by Birmingham City Council, Putulan initially claimed the vehicle was being used by someone else from Sandwell. However, the council discovered no record of this person existed after checking with Sandwell Council.
Prosecutor Oladele Osinuga said: "The seriousness of this offence is the defendant failed to engage with the council on all occasions and also nominated someone. We don't know if that person exists or not."
Defence solicitor Hardev Bhomra said Putulan was on universal credit and tried to pay the penalty with postal orders when his benefits arrived. He told the court: "This was reckless on my client's part, a stupid decision by him."
Putulan was fined £400 and ordered to pay a £160 surcharge plus £1,000 prosecution costs.
The incident occurred during a period of industrial action by Birmingham bin workers, which led to increased fly-tipping across the city. Council officials have warned that offenders will be prosecuted regardless of the circumstances.
