Restaurant owner hit by dine and dash couple speaks out and says stealing won't be tolerated

• ITV Wales' Dean Thomas-Welch spoke to Tyrone Rees, a restaurant owner whose business was impacted by dine and dash couple Bernard and Ann McDonagh

A restaurant owner says he hopes a couple's court appearance where they admitted a series of "dine and dash" offences sends a message that theft will not be tolerated.

Bernard McDonagh, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, both of Sandfields, Port Talbot, racked up large bills for food and drink at a number of restaurants before leaving without paying.

They appeared before Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 8 May, where they pleaded guilty to five joint charges of fraud.

Charges detailed how the pair first dishonestly obtained £267 of food and drink for themselves and their family at the River House restaurant in Swansea on August 9 last year, “having no intention of paying for it”.

They ordered £99.40 of food and drink from the Golden Fortune takeaway in Port Talbot without paying on January 31, doing the same with £276.60 worth of meals from La Casona restaurant in Skewen on February 23.

On March 27, the couple dishonestly obtained £196 of food and drink from Isabella’s in Porthcawl.

They committed the same offence again on April 19, taking £329.10 of food and drink from Bella Ciao in Swansea.

Swansea Magistrates’ Court heard the five offences, which both defendants admitted, totalled £1,168.10.

The case emerged after newly-opened Bella Ciao in Swansea reported that a family had left without paying a bill worth £329. Writing on Facebook, the restaurant described how a woman tried to pay with a savings account card which was declined twice before the family eventually left without paying.

Tyrone Rees, co-owner of the Italian restaurant business, told ITV Wales: "They chose T-bone steaks. The family started putting their coats on and my wife realised that they were planning to leave, so my wife gently went over and said 'we still have the bill to be paid for'.

"The lady kindly said 'no trouble with that, I'll sort the bill out'. She came to the till and gave her card, but my wife realised it was a savings account card. It was declined the first time and second time, so the lady said 'I must have picked the wrong card - I'll ask my husband to give me another card, I'll be back in just a few minutes."

The family did not return to pay.

"We put a message on social media first and said 'we're giving you a couple of hours' time, if you come back and pay, we will not put this public. We gave them an option.

"It's not a mistake, it was planned to come in and not pay. So if you're willing to do that, to come into my restaurant, our property, why shouldn't I then say 'OK, I'll tell you what, I'm going to let other people know what you do'.

"We just put it on social media and said 'these are the people who have come into our restaurant, they have not paid, be aware of these people because they're going to do it on a regular basis.

"We couldn't believe how much support we had from the local community of Swansea."

As for the £329 sum, Tyrone said: "It's a big amount of money.

"Between the two restaurants, we have 23 members of staff, and that could be a week's wages for a part-time member of staff.

"But it's not only the financial side of the situation that bothers you, it's being violated by people coming into your premises and thinking they can do what they want to do - and they can't.

"You can't just walk into a restaurant, eat what you want and then all of a sudden say 'let's go - I'm not paying for this', It's wrong. It's stealing.

"I can't say I'm glad but hopefully they understand they can't do this."

A spokesperson for River House in Swansea, which the couple defrauded out of £267 of food and drink, said after the court hearing: “We are delighted to hear that justice has, at last, caught up with the pair. We are grateful to the public who have not only been a huge help in tracking down these criminals, but also for their huge amount of support and messages of support.”

Ann McDonagh also pleaded guilty to four counts of shoplifting, totalling £1,017.60, relating to thefts at Tesco in Swansea, as well as Tommy Hilfiger and Sainsbury’s at Bridgend Designer Outlet. The thefts took place between September 6 last year and February 25 this year.

She admitted one charge of wilfully obstructing a police officer in his duty at Queen’s Road police station in Bridgend on March 13.

District Judge Chris James sent the case to Swansea Crown Court for sentence.

He told the defendants: “Both of you will attend for your sentence at Swansea Crown Court on May 29. Until then, you are granted bail. It is not subject to conditions but you must attend Swansea Crown Court at 10am on May 29. If you fail to do so, you commit a further offence. I will, in both of your cases, direct a pre-sentence report given the issues that have been raised.”

South Wales Police previously confirmed the pair had been charged with the offences in April “following reports of several incidents of non-payment of restaurant bills and shoplifting”.

Bernard McDonagh and Ann McDonagh will next appear before Swansea Crown Court on May 29.

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