Father and son deny eating at Palma restaurant and walkout without paying

We never go into a restaurant with intention to eat and not pay, but we can’t honestly say everyone has the same good intentions. For a bar in Palma a meal has ended with a father and son facing a criminal investigation and a 46€ unpaid bill after the owner followed them through the streets and called police after they walked out without paying.

The two men, aged 46 and 18, were stopped nearby, where they denied having consumed anything at the establishment. The owner then produced security footage and witnesses who supported his account. The case has since been sent to the courts. The men were identified shortly after leaving the bar in El Rafal on Saturday afternoon. The owner had followed them along Calle Aragón while maintaining a safe distance and communicating with police, who were on their way to the area.

The pair leave without paying

The incident began at around 04:00pm when the two men were on the terrace of the bar ordering several beers each and also two paellas. According to the Policía Local de Palma, they then simply got up and  left without paying the €46 bill. The owner then decided to contact the 092 emergency service as the pair walked away but he also took it upon himself to follow them to find out their whereabouts..

A patrol from the Unidad de Seguridad Integral (USEI) was sent to the location and made contact with the owner before approaching the two men. The pair were found nearby and stopped by officers, who identified them at the scene. The owner was able to indicate where they had gone, allowing officers to locate them shortly after they left the premises.

They deny eating or drinking

When officers questioned the father and son, both denied having consumed anything at the bar, it was then that the owner  showed police a video recorded taken by the establishment’s CCTV security cameras. The footage showed the two men during their visit ordering and consuming food. He also told officers that the pair were regular customers at the bar. 

Police returned to the establishment and spoke to a member of staff and a female customer. Both confirmed the circumstances of the visit and that the men had left without paying. The owner provided the unpaid bill to police and later went to the police station to formally make a complaint.

€46 meal becomes a police case

The Policía Local de Palma informed the two men that a criminal report was being prepared and carried out the necessary procedures. The completed report was sent to the Guard Duty Investigation Section of the Court of Instance, where the case will continue through the judicial process. The men are being investigated for a minor fraud offence.

Although some reports have described the incident as a detention, the police account states that officers intercepted and identified the pair and informed them that proceedings were being initiated. They have not been convicted of an offence. The judicial process will determine how the case proceeds following the police report and the complaint made by the bar owner.

A ‘sinpa’ with CCTV evidence

In Spain, leaving a restaurant or bar without paying is commonly known as a sinpa, short for sin pagar, meaning “without paying”. In this case, the owner did not simply report the missing payment after the customers had left. He contacted police while following them, provided their location and supplied the security footage from the establishment.

The CCTV was considered alongside accounts from people who had been at the bar. The owner also formally reported the matter at the police station, providing the documentation relating to the unpaid bill. The case has now been placed before the relevant judicial section, with the two men remaining under investigation for a minor fraud offence.