Ipswich man fined for refusing to clear up his dog’s mess after it fouled a grass verge
South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court - Credit: Archant
An Ipswich dog owner must pay £255 in fines and costs after he refused to clear up his pet’s mess when it fouled a grass verge.
Adrian Pitcher, of Halton Crescent, admitted being in charge of a dog and failing to remove its faeces from a designated site when he appeared before South East Suffolk Magistrates Court.
The 43-year-old claimed that despite walking off after it happened he had returned the following day to clear it up.
The incident occurred in Nacton Road, Ipswich, while Pitcher was walking what was described as a white “Staffie”-type dog.
A borough council waste enforcement officer saw the animal go to the toilet and the man who was with it walking away without attempting to pick up the mess.
When the officer challenged the man, who subsequently turned out to be Pitcher, he was told it was the council’s fault because there were no bins around.
The officer asked the man for his name and was allegedly sworn at.
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The male then walked away only to be followed by the enforcement officer. The man then turned around and gave his details as Mark Rogers and an address in Halton Crescent.
The officer continued to follow the dog owner who he saw going into a different Halton Crescent address.
During a telephone call from the officer to the borough council to check the details he discovered the details he had been given were incorrect.
When the officer then knocked on the door of the bogus address a man came to the door and said the name of the person who had gone into the nearby property was Adrian.
A subsequent check identified the man as Adrian Pitcher.
The incident occurred on October 28 last year. Two days later Pitcher was sent a fixed penalty notice which remained unpaid. A final reminder was sent on November 19 but the notice was still not paid. The borough council then took out its own prosecution.
Magistrates fined Pitcher £35 and ordered him to pay £200 costs along with a £20 victim surcharge.
The money was ordered to be deducted from his benefits.
