This is the face of the thief sent down for his role in a chop-shop conspiracy based in the borough.

Dean Goodwin, from Farnworth, took multiple Mercedes Sprinters on one day in November 2020.

Goodwin, of MacDonald Avenue, took the Mercedes Sprinters to a chop-shop in his hometown, which was one of three to be based in the borough over the course of the conspiracy. 

At Bolton Crown Court this week prosecutor Robert Elias told the Honorary Recorder of Bolton Judge Martin Walsh he was not one of the co-conspirators but one of the employees.

Mr Elias said: "Mr Goodwin is one of those to be sentenced as a result of Operation Amazonite, an investigation into three chop-shops, and at each of these chop-shops there were stolen vehicles and there were parts of stolen vehicles in what was a large-scale systematic theft."

Goodwin admitted three counts of theft of a vehicle after he was arrested as a part of Operation Amazonite but while he was on bail on October 10 of last year he took another Mercedes Sprinter. 

The 35-year-old admitted an additional count of theft of a vehicle after he was caught on CCTV and he was sentenced for the offence at the same time as he was sentenced for the other offences.

(Image: GMP)

John Dove, in mitigation, told the court his client was out of work as a result of the coronavirus crisis at the time of the offending.

He told the court his client wants to address his offending to return to a family and to return to a job at a bouncy castle business.

Mr Dove said: "Mr Goodwin understands his actions have had an impact on the individuals. Mr Goodwin was out of work and he saw no legitimate means to make money at the time."

Goodwin received a three-year sentence for all of the counts of theft of a vehicle including those in November 2020 and last year.

The co-conspirators are still to be sentenced but, last month, four other employees who were working in the chop-shops were sentenced to community orders or suspended sentences.

Judge Walsh said: "This is aggravated by the history and the high level of inconvenience to victims. The vehicles were targeted to order and only a sentence of imprisonment is justifiable."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.