A man known for repeatedly dining at restaurants and leaving without paying was sentenced to two weeks in jail for skipping out on an £89.45 bill at a pub in Broadstairs, Kent. Anthony Lamont, 45, claimed he couldn’t pay and said his girlfriend would settle the tab, but staff didn’t buy his story and alerted the police. This was the third time Lamont had committed this offense.
Kent Police revealed that Lamont had consumed a significant amount of alcohol and food worth £95.80 at The Royal Hotel in Deal on a previous occasion. Despite trying to shift the payment responsibility to a friend supposedly staying at the hotel, he was caught when no record of the friend’s presence was found.
These incidents occurred while Lamont was on a suspended sentence for a similar offense at a restaurant in Rochester. CCTV footage captured his arrest during that incident as well. After his latest offense, Lamont was swiftly apprehended by the police in Broadstairs and charged with leaving without payment the next day.
Kent Police Inspector Matthew Vick commended the prompt actions of the pub staff and law enforcement, leading to Lamont’s incarceration. Vick emphasized the partnership with businesses to deter such crimes and protect the community from individuals trying to exploit local establishments.