Plumber, 34, exposed on BBC's Watchdog for string of botch gas boiler fittings ... trends now
A cowboy plumber who spent time behind bars after his crimes were exposed on BBC's Watchdog has avoid jail for a second time, despite bringing further misery to homeowners.
Rick Goldthorpe, 34, was exposed on the television shows Rogue Traders section becoming notorious for botching a string of gas boiler installations across the UK in 2019.
During his scam he used a T shirt which falsely proclaimed him to be a Gas Safe registered engineer to bluff his way into victims' properties after he answered Facebook requests from customers looking for recommendations.
One failed installations resulted in carbon monoxide fumes polluting a woman's home within just hours of Goldthorpe - who was not registered to fit gas boilers - carrying out the work.
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He was later locked up in 2020 for 16 months for a string of safety offences under the Health and Safety a Work Act after victims came forward following the programme.
Rick Goldthrope, 34, was exposed on the television shows Rogue Traders section becoming notorious for botching a string of gas boiler installations across the UK in 2019
Goldthorpe was locked up in 2020 for 16 months for a string of safety offences under the Health and Safety a Work Act after victims came forward following the programme
Now years later Goldthrope has been reported to Health and Safety investigators again, after his latest victim checked him out on Google because she was unhappy with his work.
When confronted the father-of-three blustered: 'I just do not want any trouble - I don't want to go to jail over the work' but he was reported to Health and Safety investigators.
Goldthorpe, of St Helens, Merseyside was exposed on the Rogue Traders section of the TV consumer show. Viewers and expert gas fitters laughed as he showed off his builder's bum and his 'cheeky chappie' persona.
Throughout his string of botched installations four years ago, one homeowner was left £7,000 in debt due to the bungled work another returned from holiday to find the smell of gas billowing around his property.
This week at Chester magistrates court, Goldthorpe who admitted three more offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act was sentenced to a total of 32 weeks in prison - but the term was suspended for 12 months after his latest work inspected and found to be 'satisfactory.'
In August last year he was ordered to complete a community order for drug driving but failed to comply and in September this year was told to undertake 240 hours of unpaid work instead. He has completed just two hours of the order.
The HSE began investigating him again in the spring of 2022 when Jeanette Glenroyd was renovating her property in Sandbach in Cheshire and required the installation of a new gas boiler.
In August last year he was ordered to complete a community order for drug driving but failed to comply and in September this year was told to undertake 240 hours of unpaid work instead
Years after the BBC programme first aired Goldthrope has been reported to Health and Safety investigators again, after his latest victim checked him out on Google because she was unhappy with his work
One failed installations resulted in carbon monoxide fumes polluting a woman's home within just hours of Goldthorpe - who was not registered to fit gas boilers - carrying out the work
Gemma Zakrzewski, prosecuting on behalf of the HSE said: 'She had
