Dine and Dash

I feel a bit that maybe they were made an example of, 'pour encourager les autres', which I expect it will. Would be surprised if many custodial sentences handed out for this.But good that they were caught & dealt with.

I think the custodial sentence was because they both have a long previous history of theft and dishonesty and because the crimes were very carefully planed and executed using the children.

M0nica

I think the custodial sentence was because they both have a long previous history of theft and dishonesty and because the crimes were very carefully planed and executed using the children.

Would not using the children be tantamount to abuse? Deliberately involving them in their crimes where they had little chance to do anything other than what they were instructed to do?

Personally, I don't think they are fit to be parents as they clearly do not have their children's welfare at heart.

I know, I know, people will say that families should be helped and encouraged to stay together. But unless the parents 'turn their lives around' (as the saying goes) what chances in life will these kids have?

Yes I too think a sort of long community sentence would have been better than prison (if they go) .

Get them out there in full view of the public and let the public let them know their views.

Given their history
Swansea Crown Court heard the pair used more than 40 aliases and 18 dates of birth as part of the fraud. They were also convicted of shoplifting £1,000 of goods

The court heard Bernard McDonagh had 27 previous convictions for 40 offences, while Ann McDonagh had 18 previous convictions for 36 offences.

I would suggest with that record they have been and done the full range of community service punishments and the that the judge, faced with a criminal history like this, had almost no alternative to gaoling them.

Consider the situation where a single man or woman came into court on these charges and with these records, would your response be any different.

Judges have a detailed sentencing manual that they are expected to conform to, and, as I said, when dealing with incorrigible thieves like this couple, what is the alternative.

May be the experience of 6 months behind bars, will at least limit what they do hereafter, even if it doesn't stop it.

I agree, M0nica. Their previous convictions will have counted against them, as will the media attention the case has attracted. I don’t think that there will be cases where someone forgetting to pay will be jailed for a first offence.

Years ago a friend and I were having coffee when she remembered an appointment and we had to leave quickly. In our haste we completely forgot to settle up, but both remembered within the hour. By closing time we’d both (separately) phoned the cafe and sent children round with money to pay the bill. The cafe owner was amused at our honesty, particularly as we were regular customers and could have paid at our next visit. These things happen, but not on the scale of the ‘dine and dash’ couple. It was particularly reprehensible of them to involve their children in their crimes, too.

Dickens

I think calling it "Dining and Dashing" gives it an air of derring-do... the media do this sometimes - find a catchy phrase to describe something totally despicable.

They are not dining - they are pigging-out and then running off... they are low-life criminals.

I agree, it’s like romanticising highwaymen in a way.
I like ‘pigging out and running’ off much better as it’s a cowardly act.

Joy riding, another misnomer.😡

Given the size of the couple I don't think they "dashed" anywhere. They are from the travelling community, and although they live in an ex council house probably think that it's O.K. to get one over what they call the "gorger" community.
In this area the majority of travellers now live in houses and not mobile homes.

I think Scoffing and Stealing covers it because that’s exactly what they’re doing…STEALING!

It’s no better than shoplifting which is also STEALING (yes AR you included) and all the other ways people take things they haven’t paid for and as importantly, have no intentions to do so.

There are lots of ways of earning money (including prostitution) which are more honest than stealing IMO

Typical behaviour of gypsies. They have no respect for laws of the land and do as they please. We have come across them many times, they used to turn up every year when we lived up North set up camp on the farmers fields from us, ruining the crops, having bonfires and leaving all their rubbish behind for the farmers to pay to have removed. Here in Dorset same thing except here they bash down barriers to set up camp every year at local country park. And don't get me started on all that lot in Essex near Wickford.

maytime2

Given the size of the couple I don't think they "dashed" anywhere. They are from the travelling community, and although they live in an ex council house probably think that it's O.K. to get one over what they call the "gorger" community.
In this area the majority of travellers now live in houses and not mobile homes.

I think the name gorgers suits them better given what they did 😂

Wrong-un’s on every level.

What an example to set their children, introducing them into criminality at a young age.