Discharged without conviction over burning

A woman who served on five community organisations was discharged without conviction yesterday on two charges relating to outdoor burning because the judge said the stigma of a conviction would outweigh the seriousness of the offences.

Heather Christine Cockroft (63), company director, of Clyde, was found guilty on two charges after a defended hearing in August this year.

The Otago Regional Council had prosecuted under the Resource Management Act and she was ordered to pay the council a total of $4500 in reimbursement of costs, as well as $130 court costs.

Judge Brian Dwyer said Cockroft set fire to a pile of material in Coalpit Rd near her home and vineyard on August 21 last year and breached the regional air plan rules.

There was a mix of material but it was mostly prunings and green material.

It was burned within 100m of homes and the material being burnt included five rubber tyres, although the defendant was unaware the tyres were in the material to be burnt.

The area affected was Clyde, which was ''a vulnerable'' air zone.

The maximum penalty for each charge was a fine of $300,000.

The judge accepted the defendant had no previous offending and was of good character and a ''selfless community worker''.

The offences were at ''the lowest end of seriousness when considered with other outdoor burning cases in this area'', he said.

 

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