Cornwall “dine and dash” offences in restaurants and pubs

Judge Simon Carr told Pat O’Toole from Middlesex that such offences had become an epidemic in Cornwall and left some businesses facing bankruptcy.

The court heard that O’Toole came down to Cornwall in a stolen camper van worth £25,000 and went on a spree of leaving restaurants without paying.

O’Toole, aged 43, of Phelps Way, Hayes, Middlesex appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday after pleading guilty to three charges of making off without paying and one of handling stolen goods.

His partner in crime Margaret Cassidy of Roding Chase, Takeley was sentenced to two months in prison at an earlier hearing for handling stolen goods including clothing and a bag worth £275.50 belonging to Marks and Spencer, Hayle and clothing, worth £202 belonging to Next Stores, Hayle.

Three charges of making off without paying jointly with O’Toole were allowed to lay on file.

The first making off without paying charge against O’Toole related to a restaurant in Ingatestone, Essex on April 7.

At the end of the meal costing over £400 four or five people left the restaurant. When staff tried to stop them in the car park they were met with laughter and the offenders drove off. O’Toole was identified by CCTV in the restaurant.

The other two offences happened in Cornwall. The first was at The Cornish Arms in Penzance on August 4 when a party including O’Toole left without paying their bill of £106.

Thirteen days later on August 17 at the Tregenna Castle Hotel, St Ives, another party left without paying their bill of £312. O’Toole was again caught on CCTV sitting at the table.

Six days later on August 23, officers making enquiries visited the Premier Inn car park in Hayle where they found a Fiat Ducato Campervan worth £25,000 which had been stolen in 2020.

The officers found false number plates and a second set of false number plates inside the vehicle, along with Pat O’Toole.

In police interview O’Toole claimed he had bought the van and he had thought that someone else had paid for the meals.

His defence barrister told the court that O’Toole was “ashamed and upset” by what he had done.

He said O’Toole had started drinking heavily after he lost his job in roofing and landscaping with his brother’s company.

He said O’Toole came down to Cornwall after a car accident left him with back injuries and committed these offences when he was depressed as a result of his drinking.

He said O’Toole had been in custody for three months at Exeter Prison and it was his first experience of prison and a wakeup call to him.

“Most importantly he has let his mother down in big way,” said the barrister. “He has three children, two under 16, a boy of 13 and girl of ten, who have lived with his mother where he lives in Hayes as a result of time in custody.

“His mother is not in best of health and has been left to look after those children. That has taken its toll on her and he feels ashamed that he has placed her in that position as result of his dishonesty.

“He has a realistic chance of rehabilitation, and he is keen not only to receive help with drinking but get back to work with his brother.”

Sentencing O’Toole to eight months in prison suspended for two years, Judge Simon Carr said on paper the most serious charge was the handling of stolen goods when he came into the possession of the motor home worth over £25,000.

However, he said he also wanted to make it very clear that he also took the making off offences very seriously as well.

“There is an epidemic of the problem in Cornwall of people going into restaurants ordering meals then running off,” he said. “It is putting businesses in danger, indeed many have faced bankruptcy because of this.

“You can see by the size of the bills you ran up, that from the beginning you knew you were never going to be able to pay and thought that you were entitled to treat the companies as you did.”

He said he accepted O’Toole had tried to address his addiction issues and had responsibility for a number of children.

“If you haven’t learnt by now what prison is like then you never will,” he said. “Hopefully the memory will stay with you for a considerable amount of time.”

O’Toole was sentenced eight months in prison suspended two-years along with 10 days rehabilitation and 100 hours unpaid work in the first year for handling stolen goods.

For each of the making off without payment offences he would serve three months in prison concurrent to each other suspended for two years.