A married couple who racked up huge restaurant bills before leaving without paying in a shocking ‘dine and dash’ spree have been jailed
Bernard McDonagh, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, both from Sandfields, Port Talbot, ordered three-course meals for themselves and their family, including T-bone steaks and desserts, some of which were returned uneaten.
Swansea Crown Court heard the pair, using more than 40 aliases and 18 dates of birth, dishonestly obtained food and drink from four restaurants and a takeaway in the South Wales region, totaling £1,168.10 in unpaid bills.
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The couple, who pleaded guilty to five joint fraud charges, were arrested after footage of their scam was posted on social media.
Ann McDonagh also admitted four counts of shoplifting, including at designer store Tommy Hilfiger, taking items worth £1,017.60.
Judge Paul Thomas sentenced Ann McDonagh to 12 months in prison and Bernard McDonagh to eight months, telling them their actions could have been motivated by “pure and utter greed”.
He said to them, “From the fall of last year to the spring of this year, the two of you deliberately embarked on a course of continued dishonesty.
“You went to restaurants with your own family. You would be given food and drink worth hundreds of pounds, and then you would cynically and shamelessly leave without paying.
“You ordered the most expensive items on the menu, like steaks, knowing you had no intention of paying for them.”
The judge said the use of children to wait in the restaurants, who then ran away pretending to go to an ATM, was “ruthlessly exploitative”.
He added: “You didn’t go to these places to feed you and your family, it was crime for crime’s sake – to see if you could get away with it.
“I have no doubt that, aside from the greed element, you got a kick out of what you got away with on a regular basis.”
The judge added that the behavior of the family, who come from the Traveler community, would “fuel and reinforce” negative stereotypes.
Prosecutor Alycia Carpanini told the court how the couple went to the River House in Swansea with three children on August 9 last year at 7pm.
“They dined at the location and ordered a large quantity of food,” Ms Carpanini said.
“Ann McDonagh tried to pay. She asked where the nearest ATM was. Ann McDonagh left a child at the restaurant to await her return and pay.
“At that point the child asked to go to the toilet and ran out of the restaurant. The total bill was £267.60.”
On September 6, Ann McDonagh went to a Tesco Extra store in Swansea and loaded a trolley with toiletries and alcohol worth £126.60 before pushing it through the self-service checkout without paying.
The family ordered a Chinese takeaway worth £99.40 from Golden Fortune in Port Talbot to their home address on January 31.
Ms Carpanini said the meal was delivered before the family had closed the door in the delivery person’s face and had not paid for it.
On February 3, Ann McDonagh stole six polo shirts and a pair of chinos worth £442 from the Tommy Hilfiger store at Bridgend Designer Outlet by hiding them in her waistcoat jacket.
She returned on February 17 and was seen breaking off security tags from items before trying to hide them as she drove away in a blue Ford Transit van – a mobility vehicle – with £49 worth of goods.
On February 23, the couple and four children went to La Casona restaurant in Skewen where they ordered a three-course meal with sides worth £276.60 before leaving without paying.
Ann McDonagh shoplifted from Sainsbury’s in Bridgend on February 25, taking clothes and other items worth £400.
She was arrested on March 13 for separate offenses – which were not followed up – and taken to Bridgwater Prison for questioning.
Ms Carpanini said: “The defendant told the custody sergeant that she was nine months pregnant. The doctor on duty ordered her to be released.
“She was released on bail before the interview. The Crown says the accused was not pregnant on that occasion and lied.”
She later admitted obstructing an officer in the execution of his duty.
On March 27, the couple went to Isabella’s in Porthcawl and ordered £196 worth of food and drinks. Ann McDonagh tried to pay with a card that was declined three times.
She told staff she was going to an ATM and left a child in the restaurant. They ran outside 10 minutes later and the family was seen in a white vehicle.
On April 19, the couple and five others went to Bella Ciao in Swansea after pre-booking a table under the name Lucy Logan.
Ann McDonagh tried to pay for the £329.10 note with a card that was declined, telling staff she would get money from an ATM, leaving a teenager there as she went away.
Ms Carpanini said: “After five minutes the boy got a phone call and said, ‘Oh no, really, I’ll be there now’. The owner tried to stop the boy, but he ran away.”
In a personal statement from the victim, Giovan Cangelosi of Bella Ciao told how he feared for the safety of his restaurant after posting images and details of the fraud online.
Describing the impact of the theft, he said: “I felt I had not protected my restaurant and had failed as an owner.”
Giles Hayes represented Bernard McDonagh and said his client had taken the money to court to pay it back.
He described father-of-six McDonagh as “deeply embarrassed and ashamed” by his actions.
Andrew Evans, representing Ann McDonagh, said she had suffered family loss and may have committed the fraud “to try to make herself feel better”.