FATHER-of-five accused of conspiring to steal a JCB digger worth £45,000 has spoken of his relief after being found not guilty.

Terry Moody was mortified when he discovered that police believed he was part of a plot to steal the expensive piece of machinery when all he had been doing was his job.

Since then he has seen his business suffer as customers began to question his integrity, while fighting to clear his name through a lengthy court process.

Now, more than a year after his arrest, the 50-year-old from North Baddesley is celebrating his innocence after a jury took less than three hours to find him not guilty.

Mr Moody had been charged with three other men, who he did not know previously – Daniel Attwood, Tomas Galdikas and Thomas Watts – with conspiracy to steal the digger which belonged to Hewden Hire, in October 2013.

Attwood, of Bacon Close, Southampton, pleaded guilty before the trial, while Thomas Watts, of Fair Oak Road, Eastleigh, was acquitted of the charge last week.

Mr Moody and his co-defendant Tomas Galdikas faced the agony of a three-day trial during which the jury was told that the men had all been in on the plot to steal the JCB.

Mr Moody, who has worked for a company that moves machinery for nearly 20 years, accepted that he did pick up the JCB from Fair Oak and deliver it to Southampton Docks, but maintained that he did not know it was stolen.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, he said: “I move hundreds of machines a year, so when I got a call to pick up and deliver a JCB, I didn’t think anything of it, it’s what I do.

"When I got there nothing seemed out of place and it had its number plates.

“If I’d have felt something was up, I wouldn’t have done it.”

It wasn’t until three months later, in January last year that he got a call from police and was eventually arrested and charged.

It soon turned out that Attwood was the man who had called Mr Moody to move the JCB and Mr Galdikas was the man who took delivery of the JCB at the docks.

Mr Galdikas’ defence was that he was also unaware that it was stolen.

Mr Watts had stored the JCB before Mr Moody had picked it up.

The jury at Southampton Crown Court believed both Mr Moody and Mr Galdikas, finding them not guilty.

Mr Moody, of Fleming Avenue, added: “It has had an impact on my life and particularly the business. This last week has been horrendous though and my daughter was worried that I could be locked up for something I didn’t do.

“When I heard the not guilty verdict I was absolutely relieved. Totally chuffed. I am just glad my name has been cleared and I want people to know that.”