A couple’s greedy scheme to dine on lavish meals without paying the bill has landed them in jail for fraud. Bernard and Ann McDonagh of Wales were sentenced Wednesday for their brazen “dine and dash” crimes at restaurants across the region.
The McDonaghs pleaded guilty to stiffing four eateries and a Chinese takeout joint of nearly £1,170 ($1,485) by gorging on three-course feasts, premium meats and double dessert portions – only to flee without settling their exorbitant tabs.
Judge Paul Thomas slammed their “pure and utter greed,” driven by a thrill of “see if you could get away with it” rather than desperation. He condemned their “ruthlessly exploitative” ploy of using their six children as accomplices.
After using a card that would be declined for a lack of funds, the couple would leave one child behind at the table under the pretense of retrieving cash from an ATM.
They never returned, and the stranded child would ultimately flee and meet their waiting getaway vehicle.
“You were not going to these places to feed you and your family, it was criminality for criminality’s sake,” the judge admonished during sentencing at Swansea Crown Court.
Ann McDonagh, 39, was jailed for 12 months after admitting to five fraud counts and four shoplifting charges. She also pleaded guilty to obstructing an officer by falsely claiming to be nine months pregnant to avoid custody after arrest.
Bernard McDonagh, 41, received an 8-month sentence.
Though “deeply embarrassed and ashamed” according to his lawyer, who provided restitution funds, the couple’s dozens of previous convictions and use of over 40 aliases showed a pattern of deception.
Their dine-and-dash downfall came after restaurants posted their images on social media, exposing the scheme that abused even their own children to indulge their gluttonous appetite – without picking up the check.