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Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
How viral CCTV exposed serial 'dine-and-dash' couple
Imagine ordering T-bone steaks and desserts at a family-run restaurant, racking up a bill of hundreds of pounds, before legging it without paying a penny. Well, married couple Bernard and Ann McDonagh got away with doing this time and time again, dine-and-dashing to the value of more than £1,000 at five different restaurants. They had a brazen plan which they would act out each time, even involving their children. That was until last year, when a CCTV image of the couple shared by one of the affected restaurants on Facebook went viral, and justice caught up with them. Dine-and-dash couple jailed and fined Dine and dash couple hit my pizzeria, says owner Dine-and-dash couple failed to pay £1,000 in bills Speaking to the BBC's Strange But True Crime podcast, South Wales Police Inspector Andrew Hedley recalled how the CCTV social media post "exploded". "There was a huge outcry over what these people were doing," said Insp Hedley. "There was a need to collectively bring this together under one umbrella and get a grip of it really quickly, before it escalated. "It was a brazen disregard for the law." Mr and Mrs McDonagh, from Sandfields in Port Talbot, first targeted a restaurant called The River House in Swansea in August 2023. They ordered the most expensive items on the menu, running up a bill of £267, before running off without paying. They got away with it that time - or so they thought - and went on to target Golden Fortune in Port Talbot, La Casona in Skewen and Isabella's in Porthcawl. Then, in April 2024, the couple visited the newly-opened restaurant Bella Ciao in Swansea. They ordered T-bone steaks and double pudding portions, racking up a bill of £329, before - once again - leaving without paying. The restaurant's owners, who at the time described the situation as "destroying", reported what happened to the police and shared a CCTV image of the couple on Facebook. The post gained enormous attention and social media sleuths started their own investigations, putting pressure on police who confirmed they were investigating the couple over "a number of reports of making off without payment from several businesses". Within days, the couple were arrested and in May 2024 they pleaded guilty to failing to pay restaurant bills. Mrs McDonagh was jailed for 12 months while her husband was jailed for eight months. But how had they managed to get away with it for so long? The duo had a carefully practised plan which was boldly repeated at every restaurant. Mr McDonagh would leave the restaurant first with other family members, while one child would be left behind with Mrs McDonagh to pay the bill. When she would try to pay the card would be declined, and so she would offer to go to a cashpoint and leave the child at the restaurant as "proof" she would return. But the children were trained to be part of the plan, and seconds later they would run off too. At Swansea Crown Court, Mrs McDonagh also admitted to thefts from supermarkets and obstructing or resisting a police officer. The court heard she had even lied about being pregnant to get out of custody. Judge Paul Thomas KC described Mrs McDonagh as a "prolific liar". The question asked by many was why the couple did what they did. The court heard Mrs McDonagh may have been "trying to make herself feel better" following family bereavements. Mr McDonagh's defence barrister said the father-of-six was "deeply embarrassed and ashamed". But Judge Thomas said they were motivated by "pure and utter greed". "Over a period of around eight months, you two set out on a deliberate course of sustained dishonesty," he told the court. "You would go into restaurants with your young family, you would have food and drink served to you, on the value of hundreds of pounds, then you would cynically leave without paying." The use of their children was "ruthlessly exploitative," the judge added, describing the incidents as "carefully pre-planned to a specific pattern" and "criminality for criminality's sake". Woman who lied to get nursing job jailed How two friends found £3m treasure and ended up in jail The GP poisoner: A tale of the unexpected
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Appleton pub denied license for devices that police say are illegal gambling machines
APPLETON — A new business that tried to license five amusement machines had its application denied by Appleton police, who determined four of the devices were illegal gambling machines. The same or similar devices, though, are in operation at other businesses in Appleton, Jason Lachance of De Pere told the city's Safety and Licensing Committee. "I think everybody here has been to a bar, a restaurant, whatever, that has them in there in the city of Appleton," Lachance said. "I know I have." Appleton requires applicants for a mechanical amusement device license to identify the brand/name and type of device. Pizzeria Pub & Bar, 1200 N. Sharon St., listed five devices. Only a dartboard passed the police review. "It's been a relatively recent change where the application has been altered to include requesting enough information to frankly figure out what in the world individual machines are," Assistant City Attorney Zak Buruin said. Buruin acknowledged that illegal gambling devices are operating in the city, but he said that was an enforcement issue, not the licensing issue before the committee. On a 5-0 vote, the committee upheld the denial of the license. It will be considered Wednesday by the Common Council. According to the Wisconsin Department of Administration, video gaming devices are not legal anywhere in the state, except in authorized tribal gaming facilities. "Bars and taverns may offer five or fewer devices for amusement only, meaning they must be free to play or not provide anything of value as a prize," the DOA says. Pizzeria Pub & Bar sought approval for five devices: "Dart Board" "Golden Fortune" "Fusion 2" "Fire Link" "Fusion 2" "Based on my knowledge and research into gambling machines, all of these listed machines (except the dart board) are illegal in Wisconsin" under state statutes 945.03, 945.035 and 945.04, police Lt. Ben Goodin said in a memorandum to the committee. Goodin said the devices also are illegal in Appleton under ordinance 9-52(3). In upholding the denial, the committee indicated that Pizzeria Pub & Bar could reapply for a license for the dartboard, but that would require new $25 application fee. The initial fee of $125 — $25 each for five devices — pays for the city staff review and is not refundable. Earlier this month, the Common Council voted 13-2 to deny a liquor license for Delaire's coffee and board game bar, 823 W. College Ave., due to concerns the business might install illegal gambling machines. Before the vote, business owner David Boulanger of West Bend told the council that he agreed in writing that Delaire's wouldn't have any illegal gambling machines. "If the council wants to include that as a condition on my license, I have no problem with that," Boulanger said. "Yet despite this, I'm still being denied, while I personally identified 15 other businesses within a half mile of this City Hall that currently have gambling machines and are operating without issue." Council member Chris Croatt said Boulanger's statement was consistent with what Boulanger told the Safety and Licensing Committee "since they changed their business plan." Boulanger's statement didn't sway council member Katie Van Zeeland. "The applicant did provide a model business that advertises gambling on their Facebook page, and that, for me, is the biggest reason why I'll vote against this," she said. Council member Denise Fenton also was unconvinced. "I have no confidence that the applicant is telling us the truth about his intentions," Fenton said at committee. Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@ Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton pub denied license for devices over illegal gambling concerns
