A married couple have been charged over an alleged string of “dine and dash” incidents the place eating places have been left a whole lot of kilos out of pocket.
Bernard McDonagh, 41, and spouse Ann McDonagh, 39, from Sandfields, in Port Talbot, will seem in court docket subsequent month charged with offences associated to non-payment at eating places throughout South Wales.
South Wales Police mentioned Mrs McDonagh had been charged with 5 counts of fraud and 4 counts of theft regarding shoplifting, whereas her husband had been charged with 5 counts of fraud.
Both will seem at Swansea magistrates’ court docket on May 8.
Restaurants posted appeals to establish a thriller household who ordered giant meals earlier than fleeing.
Several institutions have been struck over 9 months after a gaggle of as much as eight individuals tucked into giant meals – typically ordering double drinks or desserts earlier than failing to pay the payments value a whole lot of kilos.
Kinga Szczesniak, the supervisor at La Casona, in Skewen, Neath, mentioned different eating places might not have suffered if police acted after preliminary warnings.
Police ‘only acted because of Facebook’
La Casona had been ready two months for police to contact it after a household of six allegedly had a “dine and dash” consuming spree costing £300 in February.
Ms Szczesniak mentioned she was upset that the “police didn’t react earlier”.
“I have been waiting two months for any contact from the police. They didn’t even check [the] CCTV records that I sent them after it happened,” she mentioned.
On Saturday, Ms Szczesniak contacted the police for an replace and claims she was informed there was no information – till she obtained a name again on Monday after the rip-off attracted media headlines.
She mentioned: “[On Tuesday] they requested me for recordings once more. I mentioned I already despatched them earlier than. The response was ‘that was long ago’ so that they don’t have them.
“I believe they reacted solely due to posts on Facebook.”
At newly opened Bella Ciao, in Swansea, a gaggle is alleged to have left the restaurant with an unpaid £329 invoice.
The Yard in Cowbridge and River House in Swansea reported comparable incidents.
Both Bella Ciao and La Casone claimed a household ran up a invoice value a whole lot of kilos and left with out paying.
Tyrone Reese, Bella Ciao supervisor, mentioned workers reported it to the police and claimed: “They were ordering the most expensive things on the menu, like T-bone steaks and the like.”
The restaurant posted a clip of the incident on its social media channels, which led different restaurant house owners who believed that they had been focused by the identical couple to come back ahead.
Leaving a restaurant with out paying is against the law and carries a jail sentence of as much as two years.