An 85-year-old Perthshire pig farmer who dumped thousands of gallons of human waste outside his home as part of a long-running feud with council chiefs has been jailed.
Peter Roy left poo-packed oil drums at the roadside in a dirty protest against Perth and Kinross Council.
He claimed the authority should have helped him repair his “uninhabitable” home, which he was eventually forced to surrender to his pigs.
The farmer was served an abatement notice, banning him from depositing the barrels in public.
In January 2019, he appeared in Perth Sheriff Court and admitted that between December 3 2015 and May 11 2017, he deposited “waste liquid and solid human excrement” near his farmhouse at Madderty, Crieff.
He also failed to remove “an accumulation of refuse”.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis ordered him to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.
This week, Roy returned to the dock and admitted breaching his community payback order.
The court heard that after more than four years, he had not completed his hours.
Jail ‘not particularly pleasant’
Roy also admitted that he failed to remove his vehicles from another man’s land near his home in June 2017, causing damage to crops.
Court papers state the land was occupied by James Sutherland and Roy had been ordered to get off the land by police Inspector Kevin Chase.
Roy appeared in court last month and initially denied breaching his order. He was remanded in custody after failing to cooperate with the preparation of background reports.
He returned to the dock on Thursday – four weeks on – and admitted the breach.
Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said: “Prison has not been a particularly pleasant experience for Mr Roy.
“He is keen to get back to his normal way of life as soon as possible.”
Sheriff William Wood revoked the original order and sentenced Roy to eight weeks in jail.
It means he will be released immediately, having already served half that time on remand.
“These cases have been going on for a very long time and they really should be brought to an end,” said the sheriff.
“In effect, I am dealing with them today by imposing a sentence of imprisonment – but that will equate to the time you spent on remand.
“Hopefully, we won’t see you back in this court.”
Kicking up a stink
The court originally heard how Roy repeatedly subjected locals in the Madderty area to a pollution problem, which was heightened during summer months.
Neighbours spoke of the overwhelming stench as a result of multiple barrels of waste dumped by Roy.
The local authority tried to mediate with the pensioner since the dispute first arose nearly 20 years ago – but he continually ignored advice.
In 2009, Roy was found guilty of breaching an Asbo by storing 80 oil drums full of human waste near a road junction.
The court heard how the farmer claimed the council should have helped repair his crumbling home, which was deemed unfit for human habitation.
Roy let pigs move into his farmhouse and a tree had grown up through the floor, to the point where the building had become uninhabitable. Roy and his wife moved into a nearby caravan.
For the latest court cases across Tayside and Fife, join our Courts Facebook page.
