Jim Ferry admits illegal dumping and apologises to council

Donegal waste collector, Jim Ferry has admitted dumping tens of thousands of tons of waste illegally at a site in Rossbracken, Letterkenny.
According to the Irish Times, Mr Ferry apologised to Donegal County Council and offered to give them two lots of cash, €80,000 and €78,000 that were seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, if the money is released, as part of an affidavit sworn last week.
Jim Ferry told the High Court today that for the sale of his companies he received €158,000 but is now broke and unemployed and will shortly file for bankruptcy.
The affidavit also contained claims made by Mr Ferry that the illegal dumping by him at Rossbracken was a desperate act when he discovered a problem with the weighing of bins collected.
Richard Lyons SC said this explanation was ‘quite frankly ludicrous’ and not ‘totally truthful’.
The court also heard today an application by Donegal County Council to have Mr Ferry jailed for contempt.
He has been under threat of being jailed for contempt since last August for failing to co-operate with the council.
According to the Irish Times, the council has now retained a forensic accountant to test the information in the affidavit.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly spared Mr Ferry immediate incarceration in jail but only on the basis that he co-operates with the council’s forensic accountant and continues to co-operate with the council’s efforts to remediate the Rossbracken site.
The case has been adjourned until July 31st.