A DETECTIVE has slammed careless fly-tipping after dumped rubbish left a cyclist with a severe head injury and landed a man in jail.
The cyclist, a man in his 60s, collided with fly-tipped waste while riding on Lincolns Lane, in Brentwood.
A delivery driver found him lying in the road on September 18, 2024.
He suffered a serious head injury after coming off his bike and was airlifted to hospital in a life-threatening condition.
Police investigations revealed that the cyclist’s front tyre had been punctured by a protruding nail in a piece of asbestos among the waste, which led to the crash.
The rubbish had been dumped on the road just a few hours before the incident.
Following an investigation, 36-year-old Craig Frewin, of Wares Road in Good Easter, was identified as the driver of the tipper lorry used to dump the waste.
He was traced using CCTV, dashcam footage, and vehicle telematics, which recorded the lorry stopping at the scene and unloading garden vegetation and a shed just hours before the collision.
Frewin was arrested on December 15, 2024, and later charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 16 months in prison at Southend Crown Court yesterday (April 30).
Detective Constable Alan Marks said: "Fly-tipping isn’t just an eyesore – it can be a lethal hazard.
Read more
-
Essex fly tipper ordered to pay £1.2k after tipper load dumped at football club
-
Former Essex station surrounded by huge piles of flytipping branded an 'eyesore'
"In this case, rubbish dumped across a country lane caused a cyclist to come off his bike and suffer a devastating head injury, leaving him with no recollection of what happened and months of hospital treatment.
"What’s especially shocking is the hidden dangers within the waste – asbestos left on the road with a nail protruding, which punctured the bike’s tyre and contributed to this serious collision.
"This family’s life has been changed forever, and it simply did not need to happen.
"If you produce waste, you have a responsibility to dispose of it legally and safely – and if you pay someone to take it away, make sure they’re a licensed waste carrier."
Rubbish removal was handled by a specialist asbestos disposal company and cost the local council £1,660.
The cyclist’s family said the verdict brought them "a sense of justice and reassurance".
In a statement, they said: "We are deeply grateful to Essex Police, and in particular the Roads Policing Unit and Serious Collision Investigation Unit officers involved in this case, for their dedication and determination in uncovering the truth.
"The thorough and meticulous investigation, especially the efforts of the officer leading the case, has brought us a sense of justice and reassurance that the person responsible has been held to account."
Share