A Dublin diner has been charged with theft and public order offences after refusing to pay for a meal, writes Andrew Phelan in today’s Evening Herald. The man was eating at Harry’s on the Green on South King Street.
It’s another answer to my question of what happens if you refuse to pay for a shoddy meal or bad service, says our commenter Steve. He points out that it’s more than just a civil matter – although in this case it’s not yet entirely clear why the diner wouldn’t pay, even after Gardai arrived.
It seems the law is probably on the side of the restaurants on this one, but I’ve read conflicting reports on this issue. Some say that refusal to pay for meal is a civil matter and others – including today’s report – suggest it could be a criminal issue. It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out and it might just establish a precedent in law.
Thanks to Steve for bringing this to our attention.
Thursday 16 June, 2011 at 5:40 pm
If he never intended to pay for the meal, it could be considered fraud +/- theft, and therefore criminal. What a ridiculous waste of court time and garda resources. If he is found guilty, he should have to pay all the costs as well as a fine.