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Builder Cleared of Pumping Sewage After Witness U-turn
27 May
Summary
- Taylor Wimpey faced charges for sewage spillage in Sedgefield.
- Key eyewitness failed to confirm illegal pumping of sewage.
- The firm admitted sewage spillage but denied unlawful pumping.
House builder Taylor Wimpey has been acquitted of illegally pumping sewage into a ditch following a court case in Newcastle Crown Court. The incident occurred in September 2019 at the Eden Gardens estate in Sedgefield, County Durham. A drain on the construction site reportedly became blocked by debris, causing a sewage pipe to burst.
The Environment Agency accused Taylor Wimpey of pumping the escaped sewage from their flooded site into a nearby ditch. The prosecution's case heavily relied on a witness from Northumbrian Water, who initially stated he saw pumps moving sewage. However, during the trial, the witness testified that he did not actually witness any pumping activity into the ditch, despite a nearly four-and-a-half-hour inspection.
This crucial change in testimony led the prosecution to concede that it was not safe to proceed with the charge of unlawful pumping. The judge directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict on this specific allegation. Taylor Wimpey has admitted responsibility for the sewage spillage itself and will be sentenced for that admitted offence at a later date.
