Latest news with #dineanddash
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Naan-paying customers! Hunt for dine-and-dashers who feasted on curry and butter chicken without settling their £58 bill
A hunt has been launched for a couple of alleged 'dine and dashers' accused of feasting on curry and butter chicken before failing to pay a £58 bill. The pair enjoyed a meal at Cafe Spice in Darlington, County Durham, before apparently leaving to take money from a cash machine - only to fail to return, restaurant owners say. The suspected dine-and-dashers ordered an array of food which included a chicken curry and tandoori butter chicken, priced at £11.95 and £12.95 respectively. The diners also sought special rice at £4.95, £5.25 onion bhajis, a pickle tray priced at £2.95, £3.25 chips, three poppadoms costing £2.70 and vegetable samosas at £5. The meal was washed down with a large Cobra beer, billed at £5.50, as well as a £4 pint of Pepsi. Now the restaurant traders have shared images and called for help tracking down the 'dash and diners' who allegedly left without paying. Ishy Miah, 22, whose father owns the restaurant, said: 'It's disgusting, it's theft. You wouldn't go into Sainsburys and steal your shopping so why are you coming into the restaurant and stealing the food? 'This isn't the first time it has happened, we had a couple of women run off without paying last year. We work really hard and shouldn't have to deal with this. They have appealed for information about a couple alleged to have left without paying their bill 'They were acting weird and said his card had been eaten by a cash machine and asked to pay via bank transfer. 'But then he said that wasn't working and he would have to get cash. We have received messages since the incident from him saying he will pay but he hasn't. 'We posted it on Facebook to gather more information about them before contacting the police. 'When we reported a dine and dash to the police before they said to put it online to get more information so that's what we're doing.' Cafe Spice has also released a statement appealing for help, saying: 'Imagine adding a bit of spice to your criminal record over a £58 bill. 'These two lovely folks said they were off to get cash after their card declined—never saw them again. Any info would be greatly appreciated.' Durham Police has been approached for comment. This latest alleged 'dine and dash' comes after a series of similar sprees - and the revelation this week by TV personality Katie Piper of her experience on a first date. She told how a man once left her with a £740 restaurant tab after running off due to her facial disfigurement. The British author and TV presenter, 41, was the victim of a horrific acid attack set up by her ex-boyfriend when she was 24 - leaving her with severe scarring to her face, neck, chest, arms and hands. Speaking at the Hay Festival, Piper recalled the shocking moment a man she had met in a bar invited her to the Japanese restaurant Nobu in central London, before doing a runner. She said: 'We'd met on a night out. I'd had pioneering treatment with incredible results, so when I would go out somewhere with dark lighting, where people were very drunk, often they weren't able to see what I fully looked like. 'So I met this guy and we messaged for quite a long time. He suggested we go out for dinner. 'I hated going out for dinner because I had a lot of oesophageal damage and often I'd choke when I ate, so the whole idea of eating in front of someone on a first date was nerve-wracking, but I agreed.' The date took place in summer so it was daylight, the star said, and she realised straight away the man had not realised she had a facial disfigurement when first meeting her in the bar. The date had chosen the dinner location and ordered a three-course meal,she added - telling the podcast: 'He said, "I've seen some people I know over there, I'm going to go and say hi to them and I'll be back". He didn't come back.' Author and TV presenter Katie Piper (pictured at the BAFTA Television Awards in London last month) told this week of her experience of being a 'dine and dash' victim on a first date Piper, now a married mother of two, said she ran through 'ridiculous excuses' as she sat at the table, considering if the man might have suddenly become ill. She did not have a lot of money at the time, living on disability benefit after the acid attack, but ended up paying the £740 restaurant bill on her own. Piper said the man got back in touch with her years later after seeing her on Strictly Come Dancing, not to offer an apology but to joke: 'We must catch up!'
CBS News
15-05-2025
- CBS News
Man caught on video faces charges in South Florida dine-and-dash scheme, police say
Man caught on video faces charges in South Florida dine-and-dash scheme, police say Man caught on video faces charges in South Florida dine-and-dash scheme, police say Man caught on video faces charges in South Florida dine-and-dash scheme, police say Police have arrested a man who was caught on video racking up hundreds of dollars in unpaid tabs by ordering food at multiple Sports Grill restaurants in South Florida and leaving without paying, according to Doral police. Suspect identified through photo lineup Juan Carlos Rivera, 40, was identified as the suspect after a waiter at the Doral location of Sports Grill recognized him in a photo lineup, police said. Surveillance video and social media posts also helped authorities confirm Rivera as the man who repeatedly ordered food, including to-go items, and left without paying at locations from Doral to Kendall, according to police. Consistent orders and deceptive tactics Rivera's tabs, ranging from $300 to $500, often included a Philly cheesesteak, mozzarella sticks, and special grilled wings, said Ellen Fitzgerald, Sports Grill's general manager. At the South Miami location, Rivera requested to take a to-go order outside, claiming his wife was waiting, but never returned, said Christene Marquez, the chain's COO. Similar incidents occurred at the Bird Road location, where surveillance captured Rivera walking in, sitting down, and leaving with his order, police said. Impact on family-owned business The repeated incidents have prompted the family-owned restaurant chain to change its operations, Fitzgerald said. Sports Grill will now require guests to leave a credit card before taking orders outside and increase vigilance to protect the business, she added. Marquez emphasized the restaurant's role in the community, noting they aim to avoid making customers feel targeted or distrusted. Rivera faces charges of organized scheme to defraud and defrauding an innkeeper, according to police.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- BBC News
How 'dine-and-dash' Port Talbot couple were exposed by viral CCTV
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 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 had a brazen plan which they would act out each time, even involving their 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. 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." The first target Mr and Mrs McDonagh, from Sandfields in Port Talbot, first targeted a restaurant called The River House in Swansea in August ordered the most expensive items on the menu, running up a bill of £267, before running off without 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 in April 2024, the couple visited the newly-opened restaurant Bella Ciao in ordered T-bone steaks and double pudding portions, racking up a bill of £329, before - once again - leaving without 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 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 McDonagh was jailed for 12 months while her husband was jailed for eight 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 McDonagh would leave the restaurant first with other family members, while one child would be left behind with Mrs McDonagh to pay the 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 the children were trained to be part of the plan, and seconds later they would run off Swansea Crown Court, Mrs McDonagh also admitted to thefts from supermarkets and obstructing or resisting a police court heard she had even lied about being pregnant to get out of Paul Thomas KC described Mrs McDonagh as a "prolific liar". 'Pure and utter greed' The question asked by many was why the couple did what they court heard Mrs McDonagh may have been "trying to make herself feel better" following family 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".
The Sun
10-05-2025
- The Sun
Family wrongly accused of pub dine & dash and awarded £75,000 ‘are MILLIONAIRES who rejected pleas to drop lawsuit'
A FAMILY who was wrongly accused of leaving a restaurant without paying the bills have turned out to be millionaires who refused to drop a dine and dash lawsuit. Peter and Ann McGirr, along with their children Peter Jr and Carol, were awarded a whopping £75,000 by the Horse and Jockey pub where the family went for a dinner last year. 3 3 3 They ordered £27 10oz ribeye steaks and two £15.25 Derbyshire gammon steaks, washed down with several real ales and lagers. Soon after they left, the pub posted CCTV footage of the family on Facebook and alleged they left without paying the £150 bill for the fancy dinner. The restaurant even called them out for their shocking behaviour - and the family soon made headlines after being accused of dining and dashing. However, those allegations were later revealed to be false, prompting the family to sue the pub owner. The McGirrs had paid their bill in full, but a member of staff at the pub had forgotten to ring the transaction through the till. The pub said that the error was caused by an "inexperienced member of staff" who took a card payment but forgot to put it through the till. The millionaire family sued the pub for libel based on the "serious and defamatory accusations". It is understood that the pub's management settled before evidence was presented - but apologised and acknowledged the distress they caused to the family. Millionaire McGirrs are among the richest people living in County Tyrone. John Watson, the pub's landlord, had to fork out almost £140,000, which included £75,000 in damages and $60,000 in legal costs. Shameless moment 20 Travellers leave restaurant WITHOUT paying £700 bill - as CCTV reveals suspects & cops launch hunt Mr Watson is said to have flown to Belfast to apologise to the McGirrs and even offered them a complement meal and stay at he pub in return for dropping the lawsuit. A source told Daily Mail that the family didn't accept the free services and instead pursued a lawsuit because of their "wealth and excellent reputation". The source said: "A lot of ordinary people might have accepted this. But given the McGirrs' wealth and excellent reputation, that was never going to happen with them. "Their reputation received such a battering they were left with little choice other than to take legal action to restore their name." The family's lawyer said that the pub's claims - and the subsequent news coverage - caused significant damage to the reputation of the family. They told the court: "These articles contained serious and defamatory accusations that the plaintiffs had engaged in dishonest and criminal conduct by deliberately absconding without settling a bill of approximately £150. "The allegations were entirely false. The plaintiffs had not engaged in any such conduct, and the statements made by the defendants had no factual basis." A statement issued by the pub last July read: 'We want to sincerely apologise to the people involved because we have now learnt that they did in fact pay for their meal.
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revealed: Family wrongly accused of pub dine and dash are MILLIONAIRES - and refused landlord's pleas to drop £140k lawsuit despite desperate last-minute offer
A family awarded £75,000 after being wrongly accused of leaving a pub restaurant without paying their dinner bill are multi-millionaires who sued the landlord because their reputation was severely damaged, MailOnline can reveal. Peter and Ann McGirr enjoyed a slap up meal with their adult children Peter Jr and Carol at the Horse and Jockey pub in the Peak District in July last year, eating £27 10oz ribeye steaks with all the trimmings and two £15.25 Derbyshire gammon steaks, washed down with several real ales and lagers. But after the family left, the pub posted CCTV images of them on Facebook alleging that they had left without paying their £150 bill - and condemned them for their 'shocking behaviour'. The false allegation of them being 'dine and dashers' led to a huge social media backlash against the McGirrs and were also widely reported in the national media. There was just one problem. The McGirrs had paid their bill, in full. A member of staff at the pub had forgotten to ring the transaction through the till. Last week, the McGirrs were awarded £75,000 in damages at the High Court in Belfast after successfully suing the pub for libel on the basis of the 'serious and defamatory accusations'. The pub's management settled before evidence was heard, acknowledged the distress it had caused and cleared the family of any wrongdoing. But what has not been known until now is the wealth the McGirrs enjoy, making them amongst the richest people in County Tyrone and their standing as pillars of the local community which prompted them to launch legal action to salvage their reputation. MailOnline can also reveal that the successful outcome of their case has left John Watson, 59, the landlord of the pub facing financial ruin as he will have to fork out around £140,000 in total. In addition to the £75,000 in damages paid to the McGirrs, Mr Watson also has to cover their legal costs, estimated at £40,000 and pay for his own legal costs of just over £20,000. In an attempt to settle the case before it reached court, MailOnline understands that Mr Watson flew to Belfast to personally apologise to the McGirrs and offered them a complimentary meal and stay in his pub in return for dropping the legal action. A source told MailOnline: 'A lot of ordinary people might have accepted this. But given the McGirrs' wealth and excellent reputation, that was never going to happen with them. I feel a bit sorry for the pub management because in this instance, they picked on the wrong family over a £150 bill. 'They are not the kind of people to do a 'dine and dash' so I didn't believe it when I first heard about it. But their reputation received such a battering they were left with little choice other than to take legal action to restore their name.' A family friend of the McGirrs' added: 'They are very well known and respected in the Omagh area and are one of the wealthiest families around here. Everybody was very shocked when these allegations were first made because the McGirrs are not short of a pound or two. 'Some people just couldn't understand why people as rich as them would do something like this and a lot of horrible things were said about them, not just on social media but by some within the community. It was a very difficult time for the family because they knew all along that they were innocent.' The family run and own McGirr Engineering, an internationally renowned company that manufactures block making machines for the construction industry and is based just outside Omagh, where they also live. According to latest documents filed at Companies House, the business is worth more than £2 million and has cash reserves of £1.3 million. Its annual turnover is not listed but sources told MailOnline that this is 'several' million pounds. The firm employs around 20 people making specialist machines that can cost anything up to £150,000 each and are sold all over the world. Carol McGirr, daughter of Peter and Ann, said following the verdict: 'Thank god it's all over and our names are cleared' McGirr Engineering is considered the UK's leading block equipment manufacturer and was founded 40 years ago by Peter McGirr senior, 69, one of the four family members falsely accused of doing a 'dine and dash.' A friend revealed that he had taken his family to the Peak District for a short break and so enjoyed the food at the Horse and Jockey pub that they returned for a second meal. The friend said: 'Peter is a self-made man and a credit to his family and community. He built this business from nothing, and it is now run by his son Peter Junior. But despite his age, he still turns up for work and gets involved. 'A lot of people around here know and admire him. The name of the family is important to Peter and that's why they had to take this legal action. They don't need the money. They could have gone for even more than £75,000 but this was all about setting the record straight and repairing the reputational damage the family suffered.' At the High Court in Belfast, Peter Girvan, the family's barrister said that the pub's claims and subsequent media reporting of them caused enormous reputational damage to the family. He told the court: 'These articles contained serious and defamatory accusations that the plaintiffs had engaged in dishonest and criminal conduct by deliberately absconding without settling a bill of approximately £150. 'The allegations were entirely false. The plaintiffs had not engaged in any such conduct, and the statements made by the defendants had no factual basis.' The family's solicitor, Darragh Carney, said they had been 'vindicated', reading a statement on their behalf outside court. He added the group were 'very satisfied with the settlement' by way of compensation for 'defamation of their character'. Last year the pub blamed the error on an 'inexperienced member of staff' who was said to have taken payment via card machine but not printed the bill on the till. A statement issued by the pub last July read: 'We want to sincerely apologise to the people involved because we have now learnt that they did in fact pay for their meal. 'There was no dishonesty involved from our staff, it was an honest mistake, but we have dismissed the member of staff responsible for the error.' An apology was also read out in court which acknowledged the distress caused and fully cleared the family of any wrongdoing. Following the settlement, Carol McGirr, daughter of Peter and Ann, said in a statement uploaded to Facebook: '10 months later.. thank god it's all over and our names are cleared. 'Tip for all our friends and family: don't pay for your food and drink before you eat as this is what can happen.. plus use a card otherwise we had [sic] no evidence of payment.'
