Dine and dash thief scoffed £500 worth of food at three different restaurants

A dine and dash thief left three restaurants without paying after scoffing £500 worth of food, a court has heard.

Lauren Halliday, 33, enjoyed expensive meals with her boyfriend at three different venues - Victors, Hula and Lui's - in Newcastle city centre earlier this year, but on all three occasions the pair left without paying. A court was told that the diner either went for a cigarette and didn't return, or claimed there was a problem with her banking app and promised to come back to settle her bill, which she never did.

The restaurants passed CCTV footage to the police and Halliday, who has previous convictions for similar offending, was identified alongside her then-partner. Prosecutors said the unpaid bills totalled £536.95.

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Halliday was due to attend a hearing at Newcastle Magistrates' Court earlier this month, but a warrant for her arrest was issued as she failed to appear, Chronicle Live reported. She then appeared in the dock in custody to plead guilty to three counts of making off without payment.

James Long, prosecuting, said Halliday and her co-accused went into Victors on February 26 this year and ordered food and drinks totalling £245. Mr Long continued: "They go out for a cigarette and never return to settle the bill.

"On February 28, they go into Hula and order £167.20-worth of food and drink. This time, they say there is a problem with their banking app and the manager sympathises with them. They leave the premises, promising to come back at 8pm but they never do."

The court heard that, finally, Halliday and her partner targeted Lui's, on Newcastle's Quayside, and used the same banking app excuse to avoid paying a £124.75 bill. Mr Long said Halliday had a number of similar offences on her record, which started in 2018.

Magistrates were told that Halliday had a string of issues in her life, including with housing, and had gone to the restaurants on a "date" thinking her partner would be paying. Her case was adjourned for the preparation of a pre-sentence report and Halliday was released on unconditional bail to next appear back at the same court on October 14.