A St George’s man appeared in Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning after being caught illegally dumping a desk.

Michael Smith, 59, pleaded guilty to a charge of illegally leaving waste in a public place.

The court heard that just before 9am on August 30 last year, a member of the public saw Smith discarding a black and brown computer desk at what is known to be a common illegal dumping site.

Questioned by Police, he admitted dumping the desk and subsequently retrieved the desk himself.

Admitting the offence in court, Smith said: “It was a stupid thing to do. I don’t even know why I did it. It’s all true. I’m guilty.

“I just want to say please don’t lock me up.”

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo said that while the offence was prevalent, it is rare to see cases come before the courts. He also expressed surprise about the maximum penalty for the offence, which is a fine of $2,000. Noting that the defendant had pleaded guilty and recovered the item, Mr Tokunbo discharged the matter, warning Smith not to let it happen again.