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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Ronnie Wallwork jailed for 15 months | Ronnie Wallwork jailed for 15 months |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A former Manchester United player who was found breaking up stolen car parts at a scrapyard in the city has been jailed for 15 months. | A former Manchester United player who was found breaking up stolen car parts at a scrapyard in the city has been jailed for 15 months. |
| Ronnie Wallwork, 34, from Failsworth, Manchester, pleaded guilty to three counts of receiving stolen goods. | Ronnie Wallwork, 34, from Failsworth, Manchester, pleaded guilty to three counts of receiving stolen goods. |
| Police stumbled upon Wallwork while investigating unconnected armed robberies across Lancashire. | Police stumbled upon Wallwork while investigating unconnected armed robberies across Lancashire. |
| A judge at Preston Crown Court said he could not agree to the suspended prison term requested by Wallwork's defence. | A judge at Preston Crown Court said he could not agree to the suspended prison term requested by Wallwork's defence. |
| 'Organisation and sophistication' | 'Organisation and sophistication' |
| Judge Simon Newell told the former England Under-20 international: "These were high-value items that were stolen. | Judge Simon Newell told the former England Under-20 international: "These were high-value items that were stolen. |
| "It seems to me they were taken in a professional and sophisticated way. | "It seems to me they were taken in a professional and sophisticated way. |
| "It also seems clear to me that they were taken to go into the black market either to be sold on or broken down and sold on. | "It also seems clear to me that they were taken to go into the black market either to be sold on or broken down and sold on. |
| "You provided the facility for that to happen. There was an element of organisation and sophistication in what went on." | "You provided the facility for that to happen. There was an element of organisation and sophistication in what went on." |
| Detectives chanced on Wallwork at the 10 Arches Scrapyard in Manchester as they looked for a gang of armed criminals who had shot a security guard in Preston. | Detectives chanced on Wallwork at the 10 Arches Scrapyard in Manchester as they looked for a gang of armed criminals who had shot a security guard in Preston. |
| It emerged Wallwork had sold a Volkswagen Touran engine and parts from a BMW 318i on eBay, and he was observed driving a Mazda Furano into the scrapyard three days after it was stolen from a car dealer. | It emerged Wallwork had sold a Volkswagen Touran engine and parts from a BMW 318i on eBay, and he was observed driving a Mazda Furano into the scrapyard three days after it was stolen from a car dealer. |
| The three stolen vehicles he was linked to were worth more than £43,000 in total, Preston Crown Court heard. | The three stolen vehicles he was linked to were worth more than £43,000 in total, Preston Crown Court heard. |
| Financial woes | |
| Rachel Woods, defending, said her client "succumbed to temptation in a stage of his life when his finances had taken a dramatic turn for the worse." | |
| She said that, until relatively recently, Wallwork had a "promising career" as a professional footballer but it was "tragically cut short" when he was the victim of a serious assault five years ago. | |
| Ms Woods said her client, who nearly died in the attack, had struggled "to find a proper path to continue with his life" since his career ended. | |
| Wallwork had lost a lot of money in two failed businesses before he set up the initially legitimate concern from the 10 Arches scrapyard. | |
| Since admitting his crimes he had taken advantage of various services offered to him by the Professional Footballers' Association and had undergone counselling | |
| Wallwork won a Premier League winners' medal in 2001, but the next year went to West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson called the "Bosman of the year". | |
| He was West Brom's player of the year in the 2004-05 Premier League season in which they escaped relegation in the last match. | |
| Loan periods at Bradford City, Barnsley and Huddersfield Town followed before he moved to Sheffield Wednesday in 2008 where he made only seven appearances. | Loan periods at Bradford City, Barnsley and Huddersfield Town followed before he moved to Sheffield Wednesday in 2008 where he made only seven appearances. |