- Bernard, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, appearing at Swansea magistrates’ court
A married couple accused of leaving restaurants across South Wales more than £1,000 out of pocket by skipping on paying bills have today admitted carrying out a string of ‘dine and dashes’.
Father-of-three Bernard McDonagh, 41, and wife Ann McDonagh, 39, confessed to racking up £1,168 worth of unpaid restaurant bills, as well as shoplifting £1,017 in goods from Tommy Hilfiger, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
And the pair could face jail when they are sentenced by a judge at crown court later this month for their dining crime – leaving businesses hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
The couple covered their faces away from the cameras as they appeared at Swansea Magistrates’ Court today charged with crimes at five restaurants in a 30-mile radius across South Wales.
Bernard McDonagh was seen wearing a pink polo shirt, with a grey tweed blazer and navy trousers as he covered his face with his hand. His wife Ann covered up her face with her parka coat hood and hands as they entered the court side-by-side.
The pair staged a series of rogue restaurant eat-outs so far over the last nine months after restaurants posted appeals to help identify the mystery family who ordered slap-up meals before fleeing.
Staff at the Bella Ciao Italian restaurant in Swansea say they were the latest victims of this heist when the couple sat with a group of eight in their restaurant and left without paying the £329 bill.
CCTV footage from the restaurant showed Mrs McDonagh attempting to pay the bill with a savings account card, which was declined twice.
She told staff her son would wait inside while she went to get her ‘other card’, but she did not return and moments later the boy had also vanished from the premises.
Bernard McDonagh, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, tried to shield their faces as they arrived at Swansea Magistrates’ Court today accused of being suspected ‘dine-and-dashers’ who were caught on CCTV leaving restaurants without paying
A family-of-eight allegedly racked up an unpaid £329 bill when they sat at the Bella Ciao Italian restaurant in Swansea earlier this year
The Somerset Arms in Port Talbot, The Longbow Beefeater in Pontyclun, the Chilli Too Indian restaurant in Clydach, La Casona in Skewen, the Riverhouse Lounge and Restaurant in Swansea and The Yard in Cowbridge believe that they are all victims of the ‘dine and dashers’
In court the pair, who have three children under the age of 16, admitted to five counts of fraud, as well as charges of theft.
Giles Hayes, mitigating for the pair who hail from Sandfields, Port Talbot, said: ‘They are equally culpable of the offences.’
It was revealed in court that Mrs McDonagh, who admitted a further offence of obstructing a police officer, has 18 convictions from 36 offences including fraud and theft.
Her husband also has previous convictions for theft.
They were bailed ahead of a sentencing hearing later this month at Swansea Crown Court. Both refused to comment when they left the court.
District Judge Chris James said the couple would be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court later this month because the offences were aggravated by children being involved.
It comes after MailOnline uncovered the ‘dine and dash’ playbook being deployed by the brazen couple in each of the outlets they hit in the past year.
Footage of the pair’s brazen behaviour at Bella Ciao went viral last month, with more than 12 million people viewing a post online.
The family-owned restaurant learned too late that there was no way to contact the diners after they had left as the number they used to take the booking was ‘fake’.
Mr McDonagh, dressed in a salmon-coloured polo shirt and a light grey jacket, put his hand over his face outside court today
Mrs McDonagh walked ahead with the hood of her light brown trench coat pulled over her head outside court today
AUGUST 2023: The couple at the River House Lounge & Restaurant in Swansea
FEBRUARY: The woman at the Mediterranean eatery La Casona, in Skewen
A similar trick was used by the couple at the River House last year, when they ran up a hefty bill whilst sitting on a table of five and ‘promised’ to get cash from the local cash point after their card got declined.
But the diners never returned, leading the restaurant owners to call the police.
After hearing the Bella Ciao story, the La Casona restaurant in Skewen, Neath, took to social media to share a similar story about the couple, who sat down to eat as a group of six on February 23.
According to the restaurant, four of the group left the building after finishing their meal, which cost nearly £300, leaving the mother to stay with a ‘young boy’ to pay.
The business posted a CCTV image of the mother, who told staff she would get another card from her car after the one she used was declined.
The restaurant asked the boy to wait with them whilst she went to the car, but he was gone 10 seconds later and never returned.