Waste collector Jim Ferry found to be in contempt of court again

Senior Counsel for Donegal County Council have applied to have waste collector Jim Ferry sent to prison for failing to fully cooperate with efforts to recoup money.
According to RTE News, Richard Lyons of Donegal County Council said Mr Ferry’s cooperation was needed to help repay taxpayers who in the interim have to cover the cost of the multi-million euro clean-up of an illegal dump at Rossbracken in Letterkenny.
Jim Ferry was given until January to provide requested information to a forensic accountant employed by Donegal County Council before a decision would be reached on whether he should be sent to prison.
In July, some records were issued to the forensic accountant, Gerard Murray.
RTE News reports that Mr Murray told the High Court that material provided was incomplete and he was left with outstanding questions and said he had not “received full cooperation from Mr Ferry.”
Mr Murray added that it was his opinion that Mr Ferry has not provided evidence to sustain the position that the illegal dumping was done without financial benefit to himself or his companies.
He also said the details of waste handled by Mr Ferry’s companies did not account for an estimated 21,000 tonnes of material believed to be buried at his site at Rossbracken, Letterkenny.
The court also heard that last Friday one of his companies, Ferry’s Refuse Recycling Ltd, was put into liquidation, owing more than €230,000 and does not have any assets.
Counsel for Mr Ferry, objected to the application to jail his client and said Mr Ferry was trying to comply with the Court orders in every way that he could.
Mr Justice Barrett on the basis of Mr Murray’s report did not accept that Mr Ferry had cooperated and he found him to be in contempt of court.
The case has been put back until January and warned Mr Ferry that he will be sent to jail on that day if he has not complied and provided all the information necessary.