Desmond Pheby, 57, a noodle bar franchise boss, has been handed a fresh 10-year director ban and a suspended prison sentence after continuing to run his business despite being disqualified. Mr Pheby had previously received a seven-year director disqualification in July 2019 for failing to keep accounting records for another food company, T.P.F Limited.
Mr Pheby continued to manage Wok & Go Franchise UK Limited, which sold franchises for the Wok & Go noodle takeaway chain. He also used a false employment document in civil court proceedings, presenting himself as a £12-an-hour “Franchise Relationship Manager”.
Sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Monday 5 October, Mr Pheby received 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also disqualified as a director for a further 10 years, extending his ban until 2036.
His wife, Sharon Pheby, 51, admitted aiding and abetting her husband in breaching his director disqualification. She was given a 12-month community order, ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, and disqualified as a director for five years. Confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are currently ongoing.