The serial dine-and-dashers finally facing their just desserts: How married ... trends now
Over the last nine months restaurants in South Wales have waited with baited breath for the police to catch a couple who could just be Britain's worst customers.
Arriving in a blue Ford van, and often with a large group of people including children tailing behind them, the pair order the most expensive dishes on the menu - typically steaks - along with starters and fizzy drinks.
However, when the time comes to pay the bill, problems arise. Cards get declined, they run out of cash and, when the owners at staff aren't looking, the previously happy customers make a run for it without squaring their tab.
Their antics, which have been branded 'devastating' by one of their alleged victims, have left a trail of businesses flailing in their wake and unable to contact them after being supplied with 'fake' phone numbers.
Furious restaurateurs, who between them were left more than £1,000 out of pocket, splashed CCTV images of their outrageous behaviour on social media, sparking fury among the public, and a manhunt from law enforcement.
The couple, since revealed to be Bernard McDonagh, 41, and his wife Ann McDonagh, 39, were quickly identified as other eateries came forward to accuse them of wrong doing, and the police came knocking on the door of their Port Talbot home.
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Bernard McDonagh made no comment when asked by journalists if he was 'ashamed' on his behaviour
Bernard McDonagh, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, tried to shield their faces as they arrived at Swansea Magistrates' Court today accused of being suspected 'dine-and-dashers' who were caught on CCTV leaving restaurants without paying
A family-of-eight allegedly racked up an unpaid £329 bill when they sat at the Bella Ciao Italian restaurant in Swansea earlier this year
The Somerset Arms in Port Talbot, The Longbow Beefeater in Pontyclun, the Chilli Too Indian restaurant in Clydach, La Casona in Skewen, the Riverhouse Lounge and Restaurant in Swansea and The Yard in Cowbridge believe that they are all victims of the 'dine and dashers'
Since then the law has finally caught up with them - but not before they had the front windows at their three-bedroom Port Talbot home smashed by a gang of men dressed in black balaclavas in an apparent act of retribution.
Today Mr and Mrs McDonagh appeared at court today where they pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud in relation to their dine and dash antics, with the total bill coming in at £1,168.
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Mrs McDonagh also admitted to shoplifting £1,017 in goods from Tommy Hilfiger, Sainsbury's and Tesco, and obstructing a police officer.
Mr McDonagh, wearing a grey tweed blazer and navy trousers covered his face with his hand as he was confronted by journalists outside Swansea Magistrates' Court today.
The father-of-three, whose wife covered up her face with her parka coat hood and hands, remained stony-faced and tight-lipped when asked 'are you ashamed of your actions?'
There was no response when asked why he thought the rules didn't apply to him.
It's a question that the restaurant owners hit by the couple's crime spree, which took place between August 2023 and April this year, might want to ask too given this behaviour has the potential to ruin their businesses.
Emily Langford, manager of the family-run restaurant the Yard, in Cowbridge, believes she is one of their victims.
She told MailOnline last month that each member of the group ordered starters, mains and two bottles of fizzy drinks each.
Once they had finished, most of them allegedly left the premises, leaving the woman to settle the tab.
She allegedly came to the counter and tried to pay with her card, which was declined twice, before asking staff for the nearest cashpoint and disappearing out of sight after walking out the door.
Mr McDonagh, dressed in a salmon-coloured polo shirt and a light grey jacket, put his hand over his face outside court today
Mrs McDonagh walked ahead with the hood of her light brown trench coat pulled over her head outside court today
Ms Langford told MailOnline: 'They left the woman to pay. And she stood up and said 'Oh, is it okay? If I come to the bar to pay?' and we said that was fine.
'She was basically buttering me and my mum up and was saying lots of nice things to us. But as she put her card in it got declined. She was like 'oh that's weird' and it declined again.
'She said she would call her son and sort out a bank transfer, but we weren't comfortable with that and asked if she could pay in cash and showed her where the nearest cash point was.
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'I showed her where it was and as I turned my head back through the door to tell my mum she was at the cash point, by the time I turned around again she was gone.'
This 'dine and dash' playbook has been allegedly deployed by the couple in each of the outlets they have hit in the last year.
Despite all seven restaurants reporting the couple to the
