A MAN has been charged with criminal damage to two beef burgers worth $8.80 after becoming involved in an alleged doorstep row with a fast food firm.

Stephen Morgan, 31, was arrested and taken from his home in handcuffs and held by police for 22 hours after his family’s order with their local pizza outlet, Pepino’s Pizza, in Loughor, near Swansea, Wales, arrived without two beef burgers.

He is due to appear at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

The incident allegedly began when Morgan and his partner Michelle Owen, who have two children, planned to stay in and watchTV on Sunday (AEST). They decided to order a takeaway from Pepino’s Pizza.

The order came without the two beef burgers when it arrived, Miss Owen claims. She said the delivery man was helpful and agreed to return with two beef burgers, but there was a delay.

Sher said she then phoned Pepino’s to request her money back for the burgers and claimed to the South Wales Evening Post that this was agreed. But a dispute arose when a different delivery man arrived soon after.

Morgan went to the door to tell the man they didn’t want the burgers, and asked for $26 (£15) after what had happened.

Miss Owen said the man handed Mr Morgan the money and then kicked the beef burgers away.

Later that evening, police visited the Morgan household later that evening and arrested Morgan on suspicion of robbery.

He was taken to Swansea Central police station where he was questioned about the incident and held overnight.

A South Wales Police spokesman confirmed that a 31-year-old man was arrested and has since been charged with causing criminal damage to food valued at $8.80.

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Stupid burgers.. that’ll show ‘em.. death to the beefy oppressors!

Charges dropped against man who faced 20-hour grilling over takeaway burger vandalism claim

Oct 21 2009

A MAN accused of criminal damage to a £5 beefburger supper walked free from court today after the charge against him was dropped.

Stephen Morgan, 31, was arrested for robbery by four policemen and led from his home in handcuffs to undergo a 20-hour grilling at their hands.

The self-employed security worker, of Loughor, near Swansea, south Wales, spoke of his relief today that the ordeal was finally over.

He said he had feared a criminal record would destroy his business, and added: “I’m just glad sanity has prevailed.”

David Singh, his solicitor, branded the whole episode “a waste of public money” after today’s brief hearing at Swansea Magistrates’ Court.

Mr Morgan had settled down to an innocent evening watching ITV1’s The X Factor with family and friends on October 10.

The group decided on a takeaway supper and ordered food from Pepino’s Pizza parlour in the nearby town of Gorseinon.

When the order arrived minus two beefburgers Mr Morgan complained and was told that the missing meal would be sent right over.

When it then failed to arrive he contacted the pizza parlour again asking for a refund and claims the company agreed to it.

Moments later, however, the beefburgers were delivered and immediately rejected by Mr Morgan who by then had already eaten.

Instead he demanded £15 compensation for his trouble which was eventually paid over, and the beefburgers were then discarded.

Several hours later a four-man police team arrived and initially arrested him for robbery.

“Quite simply this case should never have come to court. It was a waste of public money,” Mr Singh said today.

“He was arrested by four policeman at home and then spent 20 hours in custody being questioned and giving statements.

“There was a brief hearing last week when the case was reviewed and that was re-reviewed at the weekend by lawyers before the case against him was dropped.

“It started off with him being arrested for robbery, from robbery he was charged with criminal damage then they tried to allege a breach of the peace, now it’s zero.

“The whole process must have cost a couple of thousand pounds at least, for beefburgers which cost £5.”

He said the beefburgers by then belonged to Mr Morgan anyway because the company’s policy was to give the food for free in compensation.

Mr Morgan added: “I have just started a security business training dogs for the police and the army out in Afghanistan.

“I have had a lot of backing and Government contracts and if I had got a criminal record I would have lost my licence to operate.

“It’s just a relief it is all over.”

Nobody from Pepino’s Pizza was available for comment.

But a spokesman for the company had previously told the South Wales Evening Post in Swansea that customers who got the wrong food got their money back, and free food.

“We have a good reputation. Out of 2,000 people who eat here, 1,999 are happy,” he added.

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