Man jailed for horse box fraud

Man jailed for horse box fraud

21 November 2018

A NEWCASTLE man who defrauded customers buying a horse box out of more than £11,000 has been jailed for three years.

Kieran Patrick Rice (57), of Bernagh Green, is to spend 18 months of the sentence in jail and the remaining half out of licence.

He appeared at Downpatrick Crown Court on Thursday after admitting seven charges of fraud by false representation to buyers.

The court heard that four women and three men, who agreed to buy a horse box from Rice between January 1, 2012 and January 15, 2015, never received the horse box or had their money returned.

A prosecution barrister said that after a victim impact statement had been prepared, the loss to the customers amounted to £110,221.67.

However, she added that it not reflect the true loss to the injured parties, nor did it take into account their legal fees and time and effort into trying to get their money back.

Rice’s defence counsel, Mr Conor Holmes, acknowledged that there 

was dishonesty on his client’s part, but that Rice’s financial difficulties had worsened after the death of his father six years ago.

He said that although Rice was facing a bankruptcy hearing at the end of the month, his client had always maintained that he will pay the money back.

Mr Holmes added that it was likely that the injured parties would be added to a list of Rice’s creditors. 

Judge Piers Grants said he was aware that Rice had two previous convictions of a similar nature, including one in 2007 when he falsely claimed that a vehicle had been hijacked.

Sentencing Rice, he said: “You have been given every opportunity to pay back what you owe and you still haven’t done so. 

“You tell lies glibly and frequently. This was a mean and low offence and you have told lie after lie.”