Judge attacks Kirklees Council for sweet wrapper crown court case

Jun 19 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

He estimated if the case had gone before a jury it would have cost the tax payer up to £10,000.

Larissa’s mum Bridgett, 44, said after the case: “Like the judge said, this has cost the taxpayer a lot of money.

“Even the judge didn’t even let her sit in the dock – he said he’d never seen a case like it.”

Larissa explained to the Examiner she was driving down Trinity Street in her black Fiat Punto with her 18-month-old niece Lila Henderson.

The Dewsbury Art College student said: “It was the baby’s sweet wrapper.

“The window was open and the wrapper flew out of the window.”

A spokesman for Kirklees Council said: “The Judge at Bradford Crown Court felt that it couldn’t be classed as controlled waste and his view has been noted.

“However, there can be no doubt that rubbish thrown from vehicles contributes greatly to the defacement of our streets and is a problem local authorities need to address.

“Miss Wilkinson was charged with an offence because by virtue of Section 33 (5) the person in control of a vehicle is liable for waste thrown from that vehicle whether they threw the waste out or not.

“It was always the intention of the local authority that this matter would be dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court.

“However, Miss Wilkinson herself chose to have the matter heard in the Crown Court.”