A Hemel Hempstead woman has been ordered to pay £866 after not paying for an initial fine of £80 for dropping a cigarette butt.
Nicola Smith, of Ebberns Road, was spotted committing the offence by a district enforcement enviro-crime officer in London Road, Apsley, on July 26, 2022.
Initially, she was given a fixed penalty notice of £80, but no payment was made.
The decision was then made to prosecute Smith under the single justice procedure on January 9 this year, at Berkshire Magistrates’ Court in Slough. The trial ended in a conviction, but the defendant then appealed the decision and asked the courts to reopen the case.
On November 22, St Albans Crown Court heard Smith’s case. However, she failed to appear at the hearing, and the case against her was proven in her absence.
Overall, Smith has been sentenced to pay a total of £866, which consisted of a £440 fine, £250 costs and a victim surcharge of £176.
Councillor Robin Bromham, Dacorum Borough Council’s (DBC) portfolio holder for neighbourhood operations, said: “Keeping Dacorum litter-free is everyone’s responsibility, by not dropping litter and putting your rubbish in the bins provided.
“It is important that residents and members of the public are aware that DBC will follow up on all unpaid fixed penalty notices by seeking to take further action for non-payment via the courts.”
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