Married fraudsters who racked up huge restaurant bills and got away without paying during a shocking ‘dine and shut up’ spree have been handed prison terms. Bernard McDonagh, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, were known to splurge on lavish three-course meals for their family including T-bone steaks, often leaving the meal uneaten.
Swansea Crown Court heard the duo, operating under more than 40 aliases and using 18 different dates of birth, fraudulently procured food and drink from four restaurants and a takeaway, racking up unpaid bills totaling £1,168.10 .
The pair pleaded guilty to five joint fraud charges after images of their scam surfaced online, leading to their arrests. Ann McDonagh also admitted four counts of shoplifting, including Tommy Hilfiger branded items worth a total of £1,017.60.
READ: Benefit cheat defrauded £57k because he ‘didn’t realize his wife had a job’ Adrian Cooper, 57, from Newcastle, was given a suspended prison sentence at North Staffordshire Justice Centre.
READ: JCB worker now living in a tent after losing his job, relationship and driving licence James Maddox, 49, formerly of Longton, was given a road ban at North Staffordshire Justice Centre
Judge Paul Thomas handed down a 12-month sentence for Ann McDonagh and an eight-month sentence for Bernard McDonagh. He chastised them and suggested their antics may have been driven by “pure and utter greed”, according to the Manchester Evening News.
In his sentencing, he said: “From the autumn of last year until the spring of this year, the two of you embarked on a deliberate course of sustained dishonesty.”
Detailing their scam, he said: “You would go to restaurants with your own family. You would be served hundreds of pounds worth of food and drink and then cynically and brazenly leave without paying.”
“You would order the most expensive items on the menu, like steaks, knowing full well that you had no intention of paying for them at all.”
The judge went on to criticize the use of children in the scam, describing it as “ruthlessly exploitative” and stating: “You didn’t go to these places to support yourself and your family, it was crime for crime’s sake to see if you could get away. with that.”
He also expressed his belief that the thrill of the crime played a part: “I have no doubt that apart from the element of greed you got away with what you regularly got away with.”
The judge emphasized the wider impact, noting that such actions by members of the traveling community “encourage and reinforce” negative stereotypes.
Prosecutor Alycia Carpanini detailed the incident at River House in Swansea where Ann McDonagh and her family ran up a hefty bill. “They dined on the premises and ordered a large amount of food,” Ms Carpanini explained.
Describing the fraudulent tactic to avoid payment, she said: “Ann McDonagh attempted to make a payment. She asked where the nearest till was. Ann McDonagh left the child in the restaurant to wait for her to return and pay.”
However, the plan culminated in fraud when “At this point the child asked to go to the toilet and ran out of the restaurant. The total bill was £267.60.”
Ms Carpanini also told of a separate theft on September 6 when Ann McDonagh stole from a Tesco Extra store in Swansea, filled a trolley with goods worth £126.60 and tried to leave without paying. The family ordered a £99.40 Chinese takeaway from Golden Fortune in Port Talbot to their home address on January 31.
Ms Carpanini said the food was delivered before the family closed the door on the delivery driver and did not pay for it. On February 3, Ann McDonagh stole six polo shirts and one pair of chinos worth £442 from the Tommy Hilfiger store in Bridgend Designer Outlet by hiding them in her vest.
She returned on February 17 and was seen ripping off the security tags from the items before trying to hide them and making off with £49 worth of goods in a blue Ford Transit van.
On February 23, a couple and four children went to La Casona restaurant in Skewen where they ordered a three-course meal with side dishes worth £276.60 before leaving without paying.
Ann McDonagh was robbed from Sainsburys in Bridgwater on February 25, taking £400 worth of clothes and other items. She was arrested for separate offenses that were not dealt with on March 13 and taken to Bridgwater Prison for questioning.
Ms Carpanini said: “The defendant told the custodial sergeant that she was nine months pregnant. The duty doctor instructed that she must be released. She was bailed before the hearing. The Crown alleges the defendant was not pregnant on that occasion and lied.”
She later pleaded guilty to a charge of obstructing a constable in the performance of his duty. On March 27, the couple visited Isabella’s in Porthcawl and ran up a £196 food and drink bill. Ann McDonagh’s card was declined three times when she tried to pay.
She assured the employee that she would withdraw cash from the ATM and left the child in the restaurant as reassurance. However, the child fled the scene after 10 minutes, while the family left in a white vehicle.
Fast forward to April 19, the couple and five others dined at Bella Ciao in Swansea after making a reservation under the name Lucy Logan. Ann McDonagh’s card was declined again when she tried to pay a bill of £329.10.
She told staff she would get cash from an ATM and left a teenager at the restaurant as collateral.
Ms Carpanini said: “After five minutes the boy received a phone call and said ‘no really, I’ll be there now’. The owner tried to stop the boy from leaving but he ran off.”
In a victim personal statement, Giovan Cangelosi, owner of Bella Ciao, expressed his fear for the safety of his restaurant after posting images and details of the scam online. He described the impact of the theft by saying, “I felt like I had failed to protect my restaurant and failed as an owner.”
Giles Hayes, representing Bernard McDonagh, said his client had brought the money to court to pay it back. He described McDonagh, a father of six, as “deeply ashamed and embarrassed” by his actions.
Andrew Evans, representing Ann McDonagh, suggested she may have committed fraud “to try and make herself feel better” after some family deaths.
Subscribe to our flagship daily newsletter here and get all the latest news straight to your inbox for FREE