Serial fly-tipper jailed for 15 months
Michael Joseph McDonagh dumped tons of waste across Buckinghamshire
A Buckinghamshire man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after admitting to a string of fly-tipping offences spanning over two years.
Michael Joseph McDonagh, 55, from Chalfont St Peter, pleaded guilty to nine counts of illegal waste dumping across southern Buckinghamshire. He was sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on 1 May 2025.
The offences, which occurred between September 2022 and January 2024, involved the dumping of large volumes of waste—often several tons at a time—using a vehicle the size of a Ford Transit tipper truck. All of the waste was brought into Buckinghamshire from outside the county.
Buckinghamshire Council’s waste enforcement team linked McDonagh to all nine incidents after extensive investigations. Evidence including bank records, a mobile phone number, and vehicle registrations led to his identification. The council worked in partnership with Thames Valley Police, arresting McDonagh and conducting interviews under caution in March 2023 and again in April 2024, following a further offence that took place after his initial release from custody.
One of the latest fly-tipping incidents took place on private land that had already seen multiple illegal waste deposits.
McDonagh initially denied the charges when he appeared before High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court, but later changed his plea to guilty at Aylesbury Crown Court on 18 February 2025.
Passing sentence, Recorder H Cohen condemned the offences as “anti-social, unpleasant and harmful to communities,” noting that McDonagh had a previous conviction for fly-tipping and was therefore fully aware of the illegality of his actions. The judge said immediate imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence, though McDonagh received a 40% reduction in sentence due to his early guilty plea.
Buckinghamshire Council has repeatedly warned that it will take strong action against those who blight the county with illegal dumping.