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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".
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Dine and dash yobs target two restaurants in same seaside town in 48 hours and then laugh in waitress' face
A group of 'dine-and-dashers' who consumed £65 worth of alcohol and left a restaurant without paying targeted another local business the following day, MailOnline can reveal. The Sea Palace, a popular Chinese restaurant in Cornwall said the individuals claimed the food was 'disgusting' and that they 'felt sick' - despite finishing everything. They then allegedly tried to walk out of the premises in Penzance on May 3 without paying and became 'aggressive', 'threatening violence' when staff confronted them. The restaurant added that the group even had the 'audacity' to walk back in to ask if they had left their socks behind. 'These individuals are deliberately targeting small businesses, trying to intimidate staff and avoid paying,' The Sea Palace shared on social media, along with photos of the perpetrators. 'No one deserves to be treated like this while just doing their job.' It is believed the same group was behind another 'dine-and-dash' incident at a nearby restaurant in the seaside town on May 2. The Boatshed, which has excellent reviews on TripAdvisor and specialises in steaks, shared CCTV footage of the individuals. The restaurant claimed they enjoyed more than £60 worth of drinks in an outside seating area before leaving without paying the bill. After they were shamed online, someone later came back to settle the tab. A staff member said: 'The group's whole attitude towards staff was extremely rude and unpleasant. 'One of the staff ran up street and confronted them after they left but they laughed at her and said "What are you going to do about it?" 'These four guys didn't care and had a real cavalier attitude. We would normally try to take payment upfront when people sit outside but there are occasions that this hasn't happened and this was one of them. 'Despite the bill being paid, which we are very grateful for, we feel it is our duty to fellow traders to name and shame these people as they could do the same to another business.' Manager of the restaurant Nigel Waller told MailOnline that it was the first of two dine-and-dash incidents they had seen this week alone. 'If it carries on we may have to consider charging people before they have their meal. This is definitely something that we don't want to have to do,' he added. Another of the men is pictured wearing a white vest and beige shorts It comes after a Chinese restaurant last month shared images of a 'dine-and-dash' couple in a bid to track down the culprits. The duo, a man and a woman, ate at the Jade Palace Restaurant in Hamilton, Lanarkshire. Rather than settling their tab, the pair are alleged to have sped off without paying the bill. The restaurant caught the pair on CCTV and has shared images of the duo in the hopes that they can be identified. When contacted by MailOnline, one of the restaurant owners said they did not wish to reveal the value of the meal as 'it's more about the principle of the matter'. The restaurant shared an emotional appeal on their Facebook age, alongside pictures of the couple, urging them to come forward and pay for their meal. The appeal said: 'We are saddened to say we had a dine and dash. These customers ran out the restaurant without paying their bill. 'We appreciate times are hard however we are a small family business, we still have to pay our bills, staff wages and stock. Please don't come take advantage of us or any other small businesses as this is NOT acceptable at all.'
