Jailed: South Wales Dine and Dashers Ann and Bernard McDonagh Sentenced

South Wales dine and dashers Ann and Bernard McDonagh have been jailed for their gluttonous crime spree across the region.

Ann McDonagh, 39, and Bernard McDonagh, 41, of Western Avenue, Sandsfield, Port Talbot, admitted five offences of fraud when they appeared at Swansea Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 8th May 2024.

Ann McDonagh admitted an additional five offences of shop theft and obstructing a police constable in the exercise of their duties.

District Judge Chris James, sitting at Swansea Magistrates' Court, declined to sentence the thieving couple on the first occasion.

They were eventually sentenced by HHJ Paul Thomas KC sitting at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, 29th May 2024.

Fraud is an offence under section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006. It has a maximum penalty of 12 months' custody on summary conviction; 10 years' custody on conviction on indictment. The specific mode of fraud in this case has not been reported, but it appears to be a case of fraud by false representation.

You can read the circumstances of the McDonaghs' crimes in my earlier article.

Suffice to say they are not very honest people, repeatedly stealing from small businesses across their local community. Dishonest freeloaders would be an entirely accurate description. Worse than that, they're habitually dishonest freeloaders who brazenly stuff their faces at other people's expense.

Anyway, I think I've made my feelings clear!

Further details have emerged about Ann McDonagh's offences of theft and obstructing a police constable.

In relation to the thefts, the court heard that on 6th September 2023 Ann McDonagh stole £126.60 worth of goods from the Tesco Extra store in Llansamlet. She shamelessly loaded them into a trolley and then wheeled them out to the car park where a blue Ford Transit was waiting.

On 3rd and 17th February 2024, together with another, she visited the Tommy Hilfiger store at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet in Bridgend. The pair made off with £491 worth of designer clothing.

In relation to the obstruction of a police constable, the court heard that McDonagh had been arrested on suspicion of theft and a racially-aggravated public order offence. Whilst in custody she falsely told officers she was 9 months' pregnant, which resulted in her release.

The court heard that Ann McDonagh has 18 previous convictions for 36 offences, which includes several shop thefts and fraud by false representation. The 39-year-old has 20 different aliases recorded on the police national computer along with 10 different dates of birth.

Bernard McDonagh has 27 previous convictions for 40 offences, including public order matters, offences against the person and possession of drugs. He has 23 different aliases on the police national computer, and eight different dates of birth recorded.

HHJ Paul Thomas KC, sentencing, told the couple that as well as greed being the motivation for their offending, he believed they got a "buzz" from it.

He noted that Ann McDonagh, a "fluent and practised liar" with a significant record of dishonesty, was the driving force behind the dine and dash offences.

HHJ Thomas was also distinctly unimpressed with the McDonaghs' dine and dash modus operandi, whereby they'd feign efforts at payment and leave one their children behind as "security" while they pretended to seek an alternative payment method.

Speaking of the impact on the children, he said: "It exploited them, put them at risk and gave them the example that dishonesty and deception are an acceptable way of living their lives.

"It was criminality for the sake of criminality. You each got a buzz to see what you could get away with."

He added: "Business suffered significant losses. It put people's livelihoods and jobs at risk.

"If your community is, as I am told, disgusted with your behaviour, they have every right to be."

Considering matters in totality, HHJ Thomas was of the view that the couple's offending was so serious that only a custodial sentence was appropriate. Furthermore, he indicated that there is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation, so immediate custody was appropriate.

Ann McDonagh was sentenced to 12 months' custody.

Bernard McDonagh was sentenced to 8 months' custody.

The couple were also ordered to pay compensation to the affected businesses.

Inspector Andrew Hedley, of South Wales Police, said: "The prolific and brazen offending of Ann and Bernard McDonagh rightly caught the attention of a large percentage of the local public. It is great to see that justice has now been served in the form of these sentences and thank those members of public who assisted with the investigation.

"They deliberately ran up huge bills at restaurants which they had no intention of paying. This had a significant impact on the premises they targeted, one of which was newly-opened at the time. Reducing and preventing business and retail crime is a priority within Swansea City, and any crime will be fully investigated, with those found offending, brought to justice.

"Ann and Bernard McDonagh clearly felt that the law did not apply to them. This sentencing shows that it does."

This is a good bit of sentencing. Rarely do you get thieves as brazen, persistent and arrogant as the McDonaghs.

I have to say that I am surprised, albeit pleasantly, that HHJ Thomas has decided on immediate custody. The McDonaghs are known to have parental responsibilities (in the loosest possible sense) for children under the age of 16, so I had thought a suspended sentence might be in the offing.