Once upon a time in jolly old England, a Welsh couple decided to add some excitement to their dining experience by indulging in fancy meals and then pulling a disappearing act when the bill showed up. But alas, their escapades have landed them in a not-so-glamorous place – prison.
Bernard and Ann McDonagh found themselves staring at bars instead of dessert as they were sentenced to time behind bars for their fraudulent dining habits. Their taste for three-course meals, top-notch meat cuts, and extra dessert portions left a bitter aftertaste in the mouths of restaurant owners.
Judge Paul Thomas, not one to mince words, called out the McDonaghs for their “pure and utter greed” which drove them to commit these dine and dash crimes. He even mentioned that their criminal antics seemed more like a hobby to challenge the forces of law and order.
Adding insult to injury, the judge pointed out that they shamelessly involved their children in their reckless ploy. Leaving a child behind at the table and claiming to fetch money from an ATM when the bank card rejected their charges was just part of their cunning escape plan.
From unpaid tabs amounting to nearly $1,500 across various restaurants and a Chinese takeout joint, the McDonaghs landed in hot water when their faces started popping up on social media posts by the restaurants they stiffed.
Ann McDonagh, the mastermind behind multiple shoplifting sprees, was handed a 12-month sentence. She even tried to dodge jail time by falsely claiming to be heavily pregnant, but unfortunately for her, the truth came out confirming she was not expecting at that time.
Her other half, Bernard McDonagh, received an eight-month sentence and showed some remorse by bringing money to court for restitution purposes. His lawyer mentioned his deep embarrassment and the fact that he was only trying to make things right.
