Essex man jailed after he repeatedly dined and dashed

Craig Sharp has been sentenced after leaving more than £8,000 of unpaid bills

A man who left more than £8,000 worth of unpaid bills after he repeatedly dined and dashed has been sentenced to 12 months in prison.

Craig Sharp, 52, of Dockfield Avenue in Harwich, Essex, dined in venues in Essex and Suffolk, including a 15th Century Tudor house.

Sharp pleaded guilty to the offences at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on 14 February.

His barrister said the wrongdoing was a way for him to "escape" from his life.

The offences had been carried out across the two counties from April to November 2023.

Sharp stayed at the Kingscliff Hotel in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, and accumulated a bill of more than £5,000 for his accommodation, food and drink between April and August.

'Escape and relief'

Sharp then stayed at a 15th-century Tudor house called Channels Hotel in Chelmsford, Essex, between 15-19 November and ran up a bill of £214.50.Man sentenced after he repeatedly dined and dashed

At the Angel House in Halesworth, Suffolk, he made a hotel booking for 19 November and 24 November, and the unpaid bills came to £452.05.

He also had two other charges from hotels he had stayed at in Beccles and Aldeburgh in Suffolk.

The court heard that Sharp was the sole carer for his elderly parents and his defence barrister said that the "trips were an escape and a relief" .

The barrister added: "[Sharp's] underlying problems will not be fixed by sending him to prison."

The judge has ordered Sharp to pay compensation to the respective venues.