A married couple from Port Talbot have been sentenced for a series of 'dine and dash' offences totalling more than £1,150. Bernard McDonagh, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, targeted restaurants and takeaways across South Wales over several months, leaving unpaid bills for T-bone steaks, three-course banquets, and Chinese takeaways.
The couple's final exploit occurred on April 19 at Bella Ciao, an Italian restaurant in Swansea that had opened only weeks earlier. A large group ran up a bill of £329, but when it came time to pay, one woman attempted to use a savings account card that was declined. She left a young child as collateral while claiming to fetch another card from the car, but neither she nor the child returned. The restaurant shared CCTV images on social media, prompting other local businesses to come forward with similar complaints.
Investigations revealed that the McDonaghs had also failed to pay bills of £267 at River House in Swansea (August 2023), £267.60 at La Casona in Skewen (February 2024), £196 at Isabella's in Porthcawl (March 2024), and £99.40 for a Chinese takeaway from Golden Fortune in Port Talbot (January 2024). In the takeaway incident, the delivery driver was met with a slammed door and ignored when seeking payment.
Kinga Szczesniak, manager of La Casona, expressed shock that such 'innocent looking' customers could deceive them. She noted that staff now feel anxious and are constantly vigilant, even fearing letting customers outside for a cigarette. The McDonaghs faced a judge at Swansea Crown Court and were sentenced for fraud offences.
