Peter, 86, and Christine Scott, 80, have been happily married for 46 years and are planning to travel to Switzerland to die in each other's arms in the Sarco death capsule.
The decision comes after former nurse Christine was diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia.
The Sarco suicide capsule (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
Former RAF pilot Peter told the Daily Mail: "We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives but here we are in old age and it does not do nice things to you.
"The idea of watching the slow degradation of Chris's mental abilities in parallel to my own physical decline is horrific to me.
"Obviously I would care for her to the point I could not, but she has nursed enough people with dementia during her career to be adamant she wants to remain in control of herself and her life.
"Assisted dying gives her that opportunity and I would not want to go on living without her."
The pair with six grandkids are in the process of signing up with Swiss organisation The Last Resort, who are offering them assisted dying via the pod.
Sarco, short for 'sarcophagus', is a 3D-printed capsule mounted on a stand that contains a canister of liquid nitrogen to die by suicide through inert gas asphyxiation.
The use of nitrogen decreases oxygen levels quickly, which prevents panic and suffocation. The process takes just 10 minutes.
The couple are planning to travel to Switzerland to die in each other's arms in the Sarco death capsule (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
Peter added: "We understand other people may not share our feelings and we respect their position.
"What we want is the right to choose. I find it deeply depressing we can't do that here in the UK.
"Yet look at the alternative. The chances of getting prompt NHS treatment for the ailments of old age seem pretty remote so you end up trapped by infirmity and pain.
"I don't want to go into care, to be lying in bed dribbling and incontinent – I don't call that a life.
"Finally, the Government swoops in to take your savings and your house to pay for it all."
Christine added: "It's a lovely life but I have this diagnosis, and that's crystallised our thinking.
"Medicine can slow vascular dementia but it can't stop it. At the point I thought I was losing myself, I'd say: 'This is it, Pete, I don't want to go any further'."
This comes after suicide pod creator Dr Philip Nitschke said he plans to install them in the UK.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.Featured Image Credit: Exit International/Sarco
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Former RAF pilot Peter told the Daily Mail: "We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives but here we are in old age and it does not do nice things to you.
"The idea of watching the slow degradation of Chris's mental abilities in parallel to my own physical decline is horrific to me.
"Obviously I would care for her to the point I could not, but she has nursed enough people with dementia during her career to be adamant she wants to remain in control of herself and her life.
"Assisted dying gives her that opportunity and I would not want to go on living without her."
The pair with six grandkids are in the process of signing up with Swiss organisation The Last Resort, who are offering them assisted dying via the pod.
Sarco, short for 'sarcophagus', is a 3D-printed capsule mounted on a stand that contains a canister of liquid nitrogen to die by suicide through inert gas asphyxiation.
The use of nitrogen decreases oxygen levels quickly, which prevents panic and suffocation. The process takes just 10 minutes.
The couple are planning to travel to Switzerland to die in each other's arms in the Sarco death capsule (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)Peter added: "We understand other people may not share our feelings and we respect their position.
"What we want is the right to choose. I find it deeply depressing we can't do that here in the UK.
"Yet look at the alternative. The chances of getting prompt NHS treatment for the ailments of old age seem pretty remote so you end up trapped by infirmity and pain.
"I don't want to go into care, to be lying in bed dribbling and incontinent – I don't call that a life.
"Finally, the Government swoops in to take your savings and your house to pay for it all."
Christine added: "It's a lovely life but I have this diagnosis, and that's crystallised our thinking.
"Medicine can slow vascular dementia but it can't stop it. At the point I thought I was losing myself, I'd say: 'This is it, Pete, I don't want to go any further'."
This comes after suicide pod creator Dr Philip Nitschke said he plans to install them in the UK.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.Featured Image Credit: Exit International/Sarco
Updated 10:51 3 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 10:20 17 Jun 2024 GMT+1
Couple's gender reveal goes horrifically wrong on doorbell cam video
The unfortunate gender reveal blunder was caught on camera
This article contains affiliate links and LADbible Group might make a commission on anything purchased.
Smart doorbells come with a number of handy uses — from being able to answer the door from any room in your home to dealing with parcel deliveries when you’re not in.
But there's one particular model that's captured unexpected moments time and time again - and it recently captured a rather unexpected family moment.
The doorbell, from Ring, is one of the most popular models on the market and has currently got a whopping £30 off.
Let’s just say, the gender reveal in question didn’t exactly go to plan and it was all recorded on their doorbell for our viewing pleasure.
When Simon and Bronagh Laverty from Craigavon, Northern Ireland were getting ready to host their friends and family at their home to share whether they were expecting a baby girl or a baby boy, they enlisted the help of a balloon packed full of either pink or blue confetti to do so.
But, as the clip captured by their doorbell showcased, their balloon burst suddenly just as the father-to-be was walking out the front door of their home. And the telltale blue confetti that escaped from it spoiled the surprise for them prematurely.
Couple's gender reveal goes horrifically wrong on doorbell cam video
The unfortunate gender reveal blunder was caught on camera
This article contains affiliate links and LADbible Group might make a commission on anything purchased.
Smart doorbells come with a number of handy uses — from being able to answer the door from any room in your home to dealing with parcel deliveries when you’re not in.
But there's one particular model that's captured unexpected moments time and time again - and it recently captured a rather unexpected family moment.
The doorbell, from Ring, is one of the most popular models on the market and has currently got a whopping £30 off.
Let’s just say, the gender reveal in question didn’t exactly go to plan and it was all recorded on their doorbell for our viewing pleasure.
When Simon and Bronagh Laverty from Craigavon, Northern Ireland were getting ready to host their friends and family at their home to share whether they were expecting a baby girl or a baby boy, they enlisted the help of a balloon packed full of either pink or blue confetti to do so.
But, as the clip captured by their doorbell showcased, their balloon burst suddenly just as the father-to-be was walking out the front door of their home. And the telltale blue confetti that escaped from it spoiled the surprise for them prematurely.
RingNot only did Simon now know that he and his wife were expecting a baby boy but Bronagh also found out the gender in real time after receiving a motion detector alert from Ring on her phone.
Simon explained that his wife immediately called out to him, “What just happened?! Have we literally just found out what we’re having?”
He recalled that even though he was going through a number of different emotions after seeing the balloon pop, he was both happy and relieved to find out that his wife had seen the reveal as well.
Simon shared: “We look back at the video all the time, it gives us a laugh about what happened and how we found out. Catching it on camera was even more special than doing it in front of friends and family as we can keep and cherish it.”
RingHe did, however, rush out to get a new balloon so as not to spoil the surprise for their closest friends and family.
“To be honest we had to play along with the whole thing and make sure no one else knew that we found out before the new balloon had popped, as we didn’t want to ruin the surprise for everyone else,” he affirmed.
The couple’s loved ones also found it incredibly funny after they eventually saw the clip.
As Simon and Bronagh were subscribed to one of Ring’s subscription plans, this meant that they could download, save and rewatch the footage for up to 180 days after the unexpected incident.
And the happy parents can’t wait to show their son Theo – who will be three in November – the video one day.
“It will be good for the wee man when he’s older to show him and say ‘This is how we found out what you were going to be'!” Simon told Ring.
Published 10:47 4 Sep 2024 GMT+1
Man left permanently disabled with 'dinosaur hands' after inhaling up to 500 laughing gas balloons a week
He's urged kids to 'stay off balloons'
A man has admitted that laughing gas has 'ruined his life' after inhaling up to 500 balloons a week left him permanently disabled.
Connor Wilton, 27, from Derbyshire, UK, is now in a 'wheelchair and crutches' after he was found by his father 'collapsed' on the floor in November 2022.
Admitting that he had been 'abusing' laughing gas for years, Connor was rushed to hospital where doctors gave him a horror diagnosis.
Due to severe nerve damage, vitamin B12 deficiency and subacute degeneration of the spinal cord from nitrous oxide use, the 27-year-old was left paralysed and spent three months in a hospital bed and four months in a neuro rehabilitation unit.
Connor Wilton admitted to 'abusing' laughing gas for years (Kennedy News and Media)
In hospital, Connor's hands had little muscle control, resulting in them bending like 'dinosaur hands', and he was forced to wear a nappy for the first five months.
The former mental health rehabilitation worker was told that he 'never be able to stand up straight' again and now takes up to 30 tablets a day.
His laughing gas habit began when he was 18 on a lads holiday, and Connor started to consume up to 480 balloons containing the illegal drug every weekend.
He said: "I was abusing it for years. Not badly. I did it socially at weekends and when I went to Kavos and stuff like that.
"During October 2022 I was smashing it every weekend. I started to be sick all the time. I didn't think it was to do with nitrous oxide to be honest. I was quite naive.
"Then I started to get tingly feet. One day my dad found me collapsed on the floor from smashing laughing gas.
"I couldn't feel my legs properly. I was moaning about not being able to wee. I couldn't wee for six days. It's because my nerves and muscles had failed on my bottom half."
In hospital, Connor's hands had little muscle control, resulting in them bending like 'dinosaur hands', and he was forced to wear a nappy for the first five months.
The former mental health rehabilitation worker was told that he 'never be able to stand up straight' again and now takes up to 30 tablets a day.
His laughing gas habit began when he was 18 on a lads holiday, and Connor started to consume up to 480 balloons containing the illegal drug every weekend.
He said: "I was abusing it for years. Not badly. I did it socially at weekends and when I went to Kavos and stuff like that.
"During October 2022 I was smashing it every weekend. I started to be sick all the time. I didn't think it was to do with nitrous oxide to be honest. I was quite naive.
"Then I started to get tingly feet. One day my dad found me collapsed on the floor from smashing laughing gas.
"I couldn't feel my legs properly. I was moaning about not being able to wee. I couldn't wee for six days. It's because my nerves and muscles had failed on my bottom half."
He now doesn't know if he's 'going to s**t' himself in public (Kennedy News and Media)
He confessed: "It was absolutely horrible. I couldn't control my muscles. My hands were starting to bend like little dinosaur hands. I couldn't pick up my phone properly.
"My bowels failed and I kept sh***ing myself. I was really psychotic for 10 days.
"I had a catheter for five months. I had to wear a nappy for five months and I was in 24/7 bed care. I spent two full months hoisted. I couldn't feel or move my legs. My hands slowly started to get better.
"I was hoisted into a chair out of my bed everyday. I was bed bound for ten weeks. I didn't stand up until the week before Christmas with help from two workers.
"I had a nerve conduction study. It was quite a lengthy process for finding out what was happening. The doctors knew it was from balloons but not what damage it had done.
"The nitrous oxide took all the B12 out of my body and starved my body of oxygen so I was having vitamin B12 injected into my legs every two days for three months.
He confessed: "It was absolutely horrible. I couldn't control my muscles. My hands were starting to bend like little dinosaur hands. I couldn't pick up my phone properly.
"My bowels failed and I kept sh***ing myself. I was really psychotic for 10 days.
"I had a catheter for five months. I had to wear a nappy for five months and I was in 24/7 bed care. I spent two full months hoisted. I couldn't feel or move my legs. My hands slowly started to get better.
"I was hoisted into a chair out of my bed everyday. I was bed bound for ten weeks. I didn't stand up until the week before Christmas with help from two workers.
"I had a nerve conduction study. It was quite a lengthy process for finding out what was happening. The doctors knew it was from balloons but not what damage it had done.
"The nitrous oxide took all the B12 out of my body and starved my body of oxygen so I was having vitamin B12 injected into my legs every two days for three months.
Connor said nitrous oxide use is 'not worth the risk' (Kennedy News and Media)
"Now I have to have it once every three months. Still to this day I'm between a wheelchair and crutches.
"The amount of nerves I've damaged, some are too far gone and will never repair. I will never be able to stand up straight. I've got 35 degree drop feet.
"My legs spasm a lot. I get a lot of pain first thing in the morning. The muscles lock in my leg. I scream in pain.
"My bowels still don't work. I don't even know if I'm going to s**t myself in public.
"I'm quite independent now but I'm on crutches all the time. I have an adaptive car, which I drive with my hands."
Connor said he would 'never do it again' and that 'it's not worth being like this'.
Nitrous Oxide became illegal in the UK in November 2023.Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media.
Published 19:44 27 Aug 2024 GMT+1
Man who suffered from locked-in syndrome for 12 years describes moment he woke up and realised what was happening
Martin Pistorius might have finally felt like himself again after regaining consciousness, but he couldn't communicate it to anyone
A man who spent more than a decade suffering from 'locked-in syndrome' while his mind regressed to the age of an infant has told how he felt 'utterly powerless' when he finally realised what was going on.
Despite defying the odds and the bleak prognosis doctors had given him, Martin Pistorius explained he was enveloped by sheer despair when he began regaining consciousness - as he was unable to tell anyone.
And tragically, he faced an extremely lengthy wait before anyone realised.
Martin, from Johannesburg, South Africa, was just 12 years old when his life changed forever after he came home from school one day in January 1988 while suffering from a sore throat.
As his condition continued to worsen, his parents rushed him to hospital where baffled medics tried to work out what was wrong with him.
Speaking to LADbible in April this year, Martin explained that doctors suspected he was suffering from cryptococcal meningitis and tuberculosis of the brain, so was treated for both - but these efforts were unsuccessful.
"My body weakened and I lost the ability to speak and control my movements," he said, while explaining that he began to slip into a vegetative state which would end up lasting for four years.
Martin Pistorius spent his teenage years 'locked in' a coma (Supplied)
'Utter powerlessness'
Doctors could still not determine the cause of the young lad's condition and told his parents, Joan and Rodney, that he had no hope of survival.
His mum and dad were later informed that an unknown degenerative disease left him with the mind of a baby, wheelchair-bound and mute, while medics estimated he had less than two years to live.
Throughout his teenage years, Martin spent his days in a care centre while he would return to his family each night - and he described this dark period of his life as being like 'an empty shell, unaware of anything around me'.
But four years after he first fell ill, there was an incredible breakthrough, which the South African says was the moment that he began to feel like himself again - which as you can imagine, was both thrilling and terrifying.
He explained: "I remember around my 16th birthday people talking about the stubble on my chin and wondering whether to shave me.
"It scared and confused me to listen to what was being said because, although I had no memories or sense of a past, I was sure I was a child and the voices were speaking about a soon-to-be man.
"I was able to hear, see and understand everything around me but I had absolutely no power or control over anything.
"For me, that feeling of complete and utter powerlessness is probably the worst feeling I have ever experienced, and I hope I never have to experience again."
Sadly, nobody around Martin was able to realise he was conscious and they continued to assume he was still in a coma.
"Now I have to have it once every three months. Still to this day I'm between a wheelchair and crutches.
"The amount of nerves I've damaged, some are too far gone and will never repair. I will never be able to stand up straight. I've got 35 degree drop feet.
"My legs spasm a lot. I get a lot of pain first thing in the morning. The muscles lock in my leg. I scream in pain.
"My bowels still don't work. I don't even know if I'm going to s**t myself in public.
"I'm quite independent now but I'm on crutches all the time. I have an adaptive car, which I drive with my hands."
Connor said he would 'never do it again' and that 'it's not worth being like this'.
Nitrous Oxide became illegal in the UK in November 2023.Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media.
Published 19:44 27 Aug 2024 GMT+1
Man who suffered from locked-in syndrome for 12 years describes moment he woke up and realised what was happening
Martin Pistorius might have finally felt like himself again after regaining consciousness, but he couldn't communicate it to anyone
A man who spent more than a decade suffering from 'locked-in syndrome' while his mind regressed to the age of an infant has told how he felt 'utterly powerless' when he finally realised what was going on.
Despite defying the odds and the bleak prognosis doctors had given him, Martin Pistorius explained he was enveloped by sheer despair when he began regaining consciousness - as he was unable to tell anyone.
And tragically, he faced an extremely lengthy wait before anyone realised.
Martin, from Johannesburg, South Africa, was just 12 years old when his life changed forever after he came home from school one day in January 1988 while suffering from a sore throat.
As his condition continued to worsen, his parents rushed him to hospital where baffled medics tried to work out what was wrong with him.
Speaking to LADbible in April this year, Martin explained that doctors suspected he was suffering from cryptococcal meningitis and tuberculosis of the brain, so was treated for both - but these efforts were unsuccessful.
"My body weakened and I lost the ability to speak and control my movements," he said, while explaining that he began to slip into a vegetative state which would end up lasting for four years.
Martin Pistorius spent his teenage years 'locked in' a coma (Supplied)'Utter powerlessness'
Doctors could still not determine the cause of the young lad's condition and told his parents, Joan and Rodney, that he had no hope of survival.
His mum and dad were later informed that an unknown degenerative disease left him with the mind of a baby, wheelchair-bound and mute, while medics estimated he had less than two years to live.
Throughout his teenage years, Martin spent his days in a care centre while he would return to his family each night - and he described this dark period of his life as being like 'an empty shell, unaware of anything around me'.
But four years after he first fell ill, there was an incredible breakthrough, which the South African says was the moment that he began to feel like himself again - which as you can imagine, was both thrilling and terrifying.
He explained: "I remember around my 16th birthday people talking about the stubble on my chin and wondering whether to shave me.
"It scared and confused me to listen to what was being said because, although I had no memories or sense of a past, I was sure I was a child and the voices were speaking about a soon-to-be man.
"I was able to hear, see and understand everything around me but I had absolutely no power or control over anything.
"For me, that feeling of complete and utter powerlessness is probably the worst feeling I have ever experienced, and I hope I never have to experience again."
Sadly, nobody around Martin was able to realise he was conscious and they continued to assume he was still in a coma.
He began to regain consciousness when he turned 16 but couldn't communicate this with anyone (Instagram/@martinpistorius)
Agonising wait
He would spend the next few years being shunted between his home and day-care centres, and he started to lose hope - fearing he would die alone in a care home without anybody realising he was conscious.
"What really got to me was the complete and utter powerlessness," Martin explained.
"Every single aspect of your life is controlled and determined by someone else. They decide where you are, what you eat, whether you sit or lie down, in what position you lie in, everything."
But in 2001, Martin met therapist Virna van der Walt at his day centre, who picked up on the 'sparkle in his eye' and sensed that her patient could understand a lot more than what other people thought.
She encouraged the then-25-year-old's parents to take him to the Centre For Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) at the University Of Pretoria, who realised he had regained consciousness.
Martin described Virna as 'the catalyst who changed everything', while adding that he believes he would either be dead or 'forgotten in a care home somewhere' if it wasn't for her.
He recalled how a researcher at CAAC held up a sheet of paper with symbols on it and he was asked to locate a ball with his eyes - and after finding that shape, he was then tasked with tracking down a dog.
This confirmed Virna's suspicions that Martin was aware of what was going on, resulting in his parents purchasing him a computer that was preloaded with communication software so he could converse with them.
Agonising wait
He would spend the next few years being shunted between his home and day-care centres, and he started to lose hope - fearing he would die alone in a care home without anybody realising he was conscious.
"What really got to me was the complete and utter powerlessness," Martin explained.
"Every single aspect of your life is controlled and determined by someone else. They decide where you are, what you eat, whether you sit or lie down, in what position you lie in, everything."
But in 2001, Martin met therapist Virna van der Walt at his day centre, who picked up on the 'sparkle in his eye' and sensed that her patient could understand a lot more than what other people thought.
She encouraged the then-25-year-old's parents to take him to the Centre For Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) at the University Of Pretoria, who realised he had regained consciousness.
Martin described Virna as 'the catalyst who changed everything', while adding that he believes he would either be dead or 'forgotten in a care home somewhere' if it wasn't for her.
He recalled how a researcher at CAAC held up a sheet of paper with symbols on it and he was asked to locate a ball with his eyes - and after finding that shape, he was then tasked with tracking down a dog.
This confirmed Virna's suspicions that Martin was aware of what was going on, resulting in his parents purchasing him a computer that was preloaded with communication software so he could converse with them.
Martin is now happily married to his wife Joanna, who he shares son Sebastian with (Instagram/@martinpistorius)
Second chance
Martin would select letters, words or symbols on the device using a band attached to his head, which would act like a mouse, allowing him to finally regain his voice and his independence.
The medical marvel later started working with Virna at the care centre in 2003, before meeting his wife Joanna and emigrating to the UK - where the pair got hitched to in Essex in 2009.
Martin wrote a book about his harrowing experience, titled Ghost Boy, as well as later hosting a TED Talk in 2015 titled: "How my mind came back to life - and no one knew."
He went on to welcome a son, Sebastian Albert Pistorius, in 2018 with social worker Joanna and has continued to come on leaps and bounds ever since.
Updating his followers on his progress in an Instagram post, Martin explained: "Since 2010 I have: graduated with a first class honours degree in computer science, learnt to drive, publish my book (Ghost Boy), given a TED Talk, started wheelchair racing, set a European record, been awarded a Doctorate, travelled far and wide, and become a father.
"I am intensely grateful to the people who have passed through my life, and those who remain part of it, especially my wife. For without them and the grace of God, none of this would have been possible."
These days, Martin is a computer scientist and web developer - with a kick ass life story which should serve as a reminder to us all to not take anything, especially our voices and independence, for granted.Featured Image Credit: Supplied
Published 19:17 29 May 2024 GMT+1
Dine and dash couple jailed after racking up £1,000 food and drink bill and doing a runner
The serial offenders have been jailed after doing a runner from The Bella Ciao restaurant
A serial 'dine and dash' couple have been jailed after racking up over £1,000 worth of unpaid bills.
Earlier this year, Bernard McDonagh, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, were called out by an Italian restaurant in Swansea for racking up a £329 bill and walking out without paying on 19 April.
Bella Ciao said they were 'devastated' by the situation and shared videos and images of the couple alongside the message 'shame on you'.
Second chance
Martin would select letters, words or symbols on the device using a band attached to his head, which would act like a mouse, allowing him to finally regain his voice and his independence.
The medical marvel later started working with Virna at the care centre in 2003, before meeting his wife Joanna and emigrating to the UK - where the pair got hitched to in Essex in 2009.
Martin wrote a book about his harrowing experience, titled Ghost Boy, as well as later hosting a TED Talk in 2015 titled: "How my mind came back to life - and no one knew."
He went on to welcome a son, Sebastian Albert Pistorius, in 2018 with social worker Joanna and has continued to come on leaps and bounds ever since.
Updating his followers on his progress in an Instagram post, Martin explained: "Since 2010 I have: graduated with a first class honours degree in computer science, learnt to drive, publish my book (Ghost Boy), given a TED Talk, started wheelchair racing, set a European record, been awarded a Doctorate, travelled far and wide, and become a father.
"I am intensely grateful to the people who have passed through my life, and those who remain part of it, especially my wife. For without them and the grace of God, none of this would have been possible."
These days, Martin is a computer scientist and web developer - with a kick ass life story which should serve as a reminder to us all to not take anything, especially our voices and independence, for granted.Featured Image Credit: Supplied
Published 19:17 29 May 2024 GMT+1
Dine and dash couple jailed after racking up £1,000 food and drink bill and doing a runner
The serial offenders have been jailed after doing a runner from The Bella Ciao restaurant
A serial 'dine and dash' couple have been jailed after racking up over £1,000 worth of unpaid bills.
Earlier this year, Bernard McDonagh, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, were called out by an Italian restaurant in Swansea for racking up a £329 bill and walking out without paying on 19 April.
Bella Ciao said they were 'devastated' by the situation and shared videos and images of the couple alongside the message 'shame on you'.
Bernard McDonagh, 41, is 'deeply embarrassed and ashamed' by his actions, his lawyer said. (PA)
After their were identified from social media and the duo were subsequently arrested, it turns out that the pair from Sandfields, Port Talbot, were serial offenders who used more than 40 aliases and 18 dates of birth between them.
They appeared at Swansea Crown Court, and it was determined that they dishonestly obtained food and drink at four restaurants and one takeaway in the South Wales area, with unpaid bills of £1,168.10.
The couple plead guilty to five joint charges of fraud.
Judge Paul Thomas sentenced Ann McDonagh to 12 months in prison and Bernard McDonagh to eight months.
After their were identified from social media and the duo were subsequently arrested, it turns out that the pair from Sandfields, Port Talbot, were serial offenders who used more than 40 aliases and 18 dates of birth between them.
They appeared at Swansea Crown Court, and it was determined that they dishonestly obtained food and drink at four restaurants and one takeaway in the South Wales area, with unpaid bills of £1,168.10.
The couple plead guilty to five joint charges of fraud.
Judge Paul Thomas sentenced Ann McDonagh to 12 months in prison and Bernard McDonagh to eight months.
The restaurant shared pictures of the family and accused them of dining and dashing. (Facebook/Bella Ciao Swansea)
He said: “From the autumn of last year to spring of this year, you two set out on a deliberate course of sustained dishonesty.
“You would go to restaurants with your own family. You would have food and drink served to you to the value of hundreds of pounds and then you would cynically and brazenly leave without paying.
“You would order the most expensive items on the menu such as steaks in the full knowledge that you had no intention whatsoever of paying for them.”
He added: “You were not going to these places to feed you and your family, it was criminality for criminality’s sake – to see if you could get away with it.
He said: “From the autumn of last year to spring of this year, you two set out on a deliberate course of sustained dishonesty.
“You would go to restaurants with your own family. You would have food and drink served to you to the value of hundreds of pounds and then you would cynically and brazenly leave without paying.
“You would order the most expensive items on the menu such as steaks in the full knowledge that you had no intention whatsoever of paying for them.”
He added: “You were not going to these places to feed you and your family, it was criminality for criminality’s sake – to see if you could get away with it.
Ann McDonagh, 39, also admitted four counts of shoplifting. (PA)
“I have no doubt, apart from the greed element, you had got a buzz out of what you were able to get away with on a regular basis.”
Prosecuting, Alycia Carpanini gave an example to the court about the time the couple went to the River House in Swansea with three children at 7.00pm on 9 August last year.
“They dined at the location and ordered a large amount of food,” Ms Carpanini said.
“Ann McDonagh attempted payment. She asked where the nearest cashpoint was. Ann McDonagh left a child in the restaurant to wait for her return and to pay.
“It was at this point the child asked to go to the toilet and ran from the restaurant. The total bill was £267.60.”
McDonagh also admitted to four counts of shoplifting, taking items worth over £1,000.
“I have no doubt, apart from the greed element, you had got a buzz out of what you were able to get away with on a regular basis.”
Prosecuting, Alycia Carpanini gave an example to the court about the time the couple went to the River House in Swansea with three children at 7.00pm on 9 August last year.
“They dined at the location and ordered a large amount of food,” Ms Carpanini said.
“Ann McDonagh attempted payment. She asked where the nearest cashpoint was. Ann McDonagh left a child in the restaurant to wait for her return and to pay.
“It was at this point the child asked to go to the toilet and ran from the restaurant. The total bill was £267.60.”
McDonagh also admitted to four counts of shoplifting, taking items worth over £1,000.
