A prolific dine-and-dash couple visited three restaurants across four days and racked up £500 in bills by giving several reasons they were unable to pay.
Lauren Halliday and her boyfriend indulged in expensive meals at a number of upmarket restaurants across Newcastle that included Victors, Hula and Lui’s.
But the pair strategically crafted a number of explanations for their inability to pay that included failing to return after having a cigarette, alongside problems with their online banking apps.
At one point, the 33-year-old did a runner despite promising to return to the restaurant to settle up her tab, a court heard.
Despite initially appearing to have gotten away with footing bills of up to £500, the pair were eventually caught in the act after CCTV footage was passed to the police, identifying both Halliday and her partner.
James Long, prosecuting, said that both Halliday and her co-accused had visited luxury Asian restaurant Victors on February 26 and ordered a substantial amount of food and drinks that came to a total of £245.
Explaining how they avoided settling their tab, he said: ‘They go out for a cigarette and never return to settle the bill.’
Then, just two days later, they visited the Hawaiian-themed bar and restaurant Hula, ordering up to £167.20 worth of food and drink.
To avoid paying their hefty bill, they insisted that there was ‘a problem with their banking app and the manager sympathised with them.’
Mr Long added: ‘They leave the premises, promising to come back at 8pm but they never do.’
The pair’s final act of theft took place at Italian tapas restaurant Lui’s on Newcastle Quayside in which they used the same banking app excuse to avoid paying a £124.75 bill.
Halliday, of Newburn, has a number of previous convictions for similar offences starting in 2018.
She had been due at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court earlier this month.
However, after failing to show, a warrant was issued for her arrest. She appeared in the dock, pleading guilty to three counts of making off without payment.
The court heard that Halliday claimed to have visited the restaurants on ‘dates’ and had been under the assumption that her partner would be paying.
Halliday was also said to have experienced a string of issues in her life, including with housing.
Her case was adjourned for the preparation of a pre-sentence report and Halliday was released on unconditional bail.
She is set to appear back at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on October 14.
It comes amid a series of similar ‘dine and dash’ sprees seen across the UK, with restaurants often resorting to issuing CCTV footage of the alleged crimes in a bid to catch those responsible.
