SPEEDING MOTORIST JAILED

A motorist who reached speeds of up to 140mph while trying to shake of police has been jailed for 12 months and banned from driving for four years and six months. Cocaine-taking Alistair Smith, of Braddon Avenue, Stapleford, blew a kiss to the public gallery as he was taken from the court in Derby.

The court heard that the uninsured and unlicensed Smith, during an 11-minute chase, jumped multiple red lights and drove on the wrong side of the road in his BMW. He hit speed humps in Derby Road, Stapleford, at 50mph before reaching 84mph in the built-up 30mph limit. Throughout the chase Smith’s mother was sat in the front passenger seat. The incident occurred at 11.30pm on November 10th.

FLY TIPPING RESULTS IN HEFTY FINE

A successful prosecution by Erewash Borough Council saw a Long Eaton man fined more than £1,000 after his waste was found fly-tipped in the town. Anthony Liam Kidsley, 35, of Tamworth Road, pleaded guilty to ‘failing in his Duty of Care’ regarding the illegal deposit of waste, an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. He had failed to check that the person he paid to dispose of his waste was a registered waste carrier and it was illegally dumped at Pastures Lane.

The fly-tip was reported to the Council’s Neighbourhood Wardens who carried out an investigation.　 Kidsley admitted to council officers that some of the waste was his and he had paid someone to dispose of it for him.　In his mitigation, Kidsley’s solicitor stated that he had been foolish in his actions and he accepted that he should have carried out checks to see if the person had a waste carriers licence.　 He said he is aware of the effects fly-tipping has on the environment.

The case was heard on 10th April at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court. District Judge Meachin was satisfied that this was an act of negligence and Kidsley should have carried out the proper checks to ensure that the waste was transferred to an authorised person.　 He was ordered to pay a fine of £500, the Council’s full costs (including clean-up costs of £110.04) of £586.17 and a victim surcharge of £50.　 A total of £1,136.17.

Director of Community Services at Erewash Borough Council, Lorraine Poyser, says:

“We are pleased with the outcome of this case. Anyone fly-tipping waste in the borough is committing a serious offence and could be fined a substantial amount should the case go to court. We remain committed to the prosecution of offenders who carry out environmental crimes such as this and would urge the public to report all matters of fly-tipping. They can do this by calling our 24-hour confidential Pride Line on 0115 850 8383 or through their online My Erewash account.

DERBYSHIRE POLICE DELIGHTED WITH KNIFE SURRENDER INITIATIVE

Officers fighting knife crime in Derbyshire are ‘delighted’ with the results of their latest knife surrender initiative. Earlier this month, between Monday, March 11th and Sunday, March 17th, police offered people the chance to ‘Drop the Knife’ next as part of a national anti-knife crime initiative Operation Sceptre. This was an opportunity, to safely discard bladed weapons that could have otherwise come in to the hands of those that would cause harm to others. 520 knives were placed in to bins situated in police stations across the county.

Inspector Richard Keene of Derbyshire police who leads on Project Zao, an initiative to reduce knife crime in the county, explained:

“The surrender scheme was held as part of our ongoing Project Zao and to support the national initiative, Operation Sceptre. I am delighted that it has resulted in so many knives being taken out of harm’s way.
We are not naive enough to think that we have had hardened criminals coming in and handing in their weapons but every one of the knives surrendered is a potential lethal weapon that will now be disposed of. This is an excellent example of how we can work together with the public to make Derbyshire safer. Project Zao will continue with its mixture of education, engagement and enforcement.

CLARIFICATION ON VOTING

Erewash residents are being reminded that they do not need any photo I.D in order to vote in next month’s borough elections.

As long as people are registered to vote they can do so as they normally would. The clarification comes as two pilot schemes running in Derby and Broxtowe will see voters required to show photo I.D in order to vote in their local elections.

The 2nd May elections will see voters elect 47 borough councillors in total and those elected will represent a total of 19 wards across the borough. Parish council elections will also take place.

Election results will be published on the council’s website www.erewash.gov.uk as soon as they are announced.