Leading a “topsy turvy life of excess” yielded one year in prison for a young Kilkenny man in Circuit Court this week. Shane Pouch (28 ) now living in Stephenstown Lodge Two Mile House Naas Co Kildare was before Judge Olive Buttimer on 12 counts of deception dating from June 14, 2007 to October 5, 2007. The court heard that during this period of time, Mr Pouch purported to be a businessman with a penchant for luxury about to run a restaurant in Kilkenny city.
He financed all of his ideas with bouncing cheques and false promises.
Garda Martin Power of Kilkenny Garda Station told the court that the young man who had only a Leaving Certificate and a couple of years catering experience duped several small businesses in supporting the idea that he was about to launch a hot spot for Kilkenny City. He convinced three lending institutions to open five accounts for him, three business and two personal and they also furnished him with chequebooks for each account which he used to rack up debts of almost €14,000.
Using his chequebooks he bought wine coolers, hundreds of euro worth of wine and alcoholic beverages, a fancy suit, a leather couch and hired the services of tilers, construction workers, and a creative logo design firm.
“There was never any money to cover the cheques,” Garda Power told the court. “Mr Pouch was arrested on December 31, 2007 and questioned in relation to the bounced cheques. He refused to cooperate claiming they were a civil matter and nothing to do with the Gardaí. He gave no undertaking to give the money back.”
The court heard Mr Pouch told the employees he hired and paid by cheques that bounced that he was to run The Petrie Bar in Kilkenny. No money has ever been returned to the employees or any other injured party. No such business ever transpired and according to defence counsel, Mr Pouch will never have any money to give back.
Currently serving an 11-month sentence in Arbor Hill prison, the court heard Mr Pouch had to be moved for his own safety from other prisoners, that he had a personality disorder and is on several medications.
“He led a topsy turvy life of excess that led to this risk taking, Walter Mitty style plans that were ultimately going to come home to roost,” defence counsel Mr James Kelly told Judge Buttimer.
“While it may have been businesses that suffered, it occurs to me as self indulgent in that these were items of some luxury,” said Judge Buttimer sentencing Mr Pouch to 12 months in prison to run after he finishes his current 11-month sentence.
