THREE owners of a skip hire business – last year jailed after officials found they were storing far more waste than allowed on their yard – had a criminal benefit of a million and a half pounds, a court has agreed.

Now an order has been made under The Proceeds of Crime Act that they must pay various amounts to help pay for clearing the site.

Joseph Benedict Gaffey was ordered to pay £92,102, Patricia Gaffey £86,729, and Michael Gaffey £113,293.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) officers found Porthmadog Skip Hire, based at Penamser Industrial Estate, had huge stockpiles of waste which posed potential risks to individuals, businesses and the environments.

Drone footage showed huge piles of waste covering the entire site prompting complaints from businesses and Porthmadog Town Council.

The cost of the clean-up, estimated at £350,000, fell on the public purse, a court was told.

At a financial hearing at Mold Crown Court last Friday, Judge Rhys Rowlands made an agreed order under which the three defendants were ordered to pay their financial orders within three months.

In default, Michael Gaffey was ordered to serve 15 months imprisonment and the other two 12 months. It was agreed that the money when paid would be used as compensation for Natural Resources Wales.

Prosecuting barrister Michael Stables said the NRW would then be able to refund the Welsh Government of the cost of clearing the site. It had been agreed that the NRW would be given access to the land for the site to be cleared.

Mr Stables said that the figures had been agreed on the basis of a potential value of the sale of the company assets at auction, and personal assets. After the auction, the figures may need to be adjusted, he explained.

A two-day hearing had been set aside to resolve the issues and the judge congratulated all parties for their work so that the order could be made by consent.

Carolina Bracken, for Patricia Gaffey, said access to the site for clearing purposes was dependent upon crossing land owned by the father of the three defendants. Her client would do nothing to prevent access being gained.

Matthew Curtis for Michael Gaffey said that as part of the agreement the prosecution would not seek the £1.5 million figure – which he described as academic – should the defendants come into money in the future.

Last March the defendants were jailed for 10 months. Joseph Gaffey, 53, of Madoc Street, Porthmadog, admitted charges of failing to comply with the conditions of an environmental permit at the yard between June 2014 and September 2015.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to comply with an enforcement notice issued on June 24, 2016, and a suspension notice served in November. His guilty pleas mirrored those of two other directors, his sister Patricia Mary Gaffey, 64, of Y Fron, near Caernarfon and his brother Michael John Gaffey, 59, of Maes Gerddi, Porthmadog.