Tyre dumping accused case adjourned

Tauranga District Court. Photo/file

A Bay of Plenty tyre recycling firm and three others facing charges after tyres were found dumped in Waihi and Kawerau have had the matters adjourned until next month.

EcoVersion Logistics Limited, Alan George Merrie, and Angela Kay Merrie faced two charges each of contravening or permitting the contravention of an abatement notice when this matter was recalled in Tauranga Registrar's Court today.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council, which laid the charges, has alleged the defendants illegally dumped tyres at or near a council-owned wastewater disposal site in Kawerau and at or near Waihi Beach Quarry.

The council has alleged the offences were committed between November 2015 and March this year.

None of the defendants attended court but the Merries were represented by their respective lawyers.

However no one turned up to court to legally represent EcoVersion.

Name suppression lapsed today for a fourth defendant, Jonathon Lindsay Spencer, who also faces the same two charges although his court attendance was also excused.

His agent lawyer Rita Nabney did not seek continuation of the suppression order.

Mrs Nabney successfully argued for a further two week adjournment to enable Spencer's legal counsel more time to prepare a plea proposal for the prosecution.

The council's lawyer Adam Hopkinson consented to a further adjournment, said pleas must be entered at the defendants next court appearance on July 4.