Alleged Bill Of 120 Left Behind At One Establishment

Couple Who Dined and Dashed at Five Restaurants Face Charges

Alleged Bill of £120 Left Behind at One Establishment

Pair Accused of Using Children to Walk Out on Bills

A couple in the United Kingdom is facing charges after allegedly dining and dashing at five restaurants, leaving behind a trail of unpaid bills that totaled over £1,000.

Bernard McDonagh, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, both of Sandfields, Port Talbot, were arrested and charged with fraud and theft after allegedly using their children to walk out on the bills.

The couple targeted five restaurants across Swansea, Neath, and Port Talbot, including the newly-opened Bella Ciao in Swansea, which alleged in a Facebook post that a family left the premises without paying a £120 bill.

The couple allegedly used more than 40 aliases and paid with cash or gift cards to avoid being traced. They reportedly took their children with them to the restaurants and used them as a distraction to leave without paying.

Police were able to identify the couple through CCTV footage and their alleged use of aliases. They were arrested and charged, and are set to appear in court at a later date.

The incident has raised concerns about the growing trend of dine-and-dash scams, in which customers leave restaurants without paying for their meals. Restaurants are urged to take precautions to prevent these scams, such as requiring customers to pay before receiving their food or asking for identification from large groups.