A franchise company owner who defied a seven-year director ban and used forged employment papers has been handed a suspended prison sentence and disqualified from running businesses until 2036, according to the Insolvency Service.
Desmond Pheby, 57, from Higher Kinnerton in Flintshire, North Wales, continued to manage Wok & Go Franchise UK Limited – which sold franchises for the Wok & Go noodle takeaway chain – throughout his original disqualification period. He also submitted a false employment document to civil court proceedings that portrayed him as a “Franchise Relationship Manager” earning £12 per hour.
Chester Crown Court sentenced Pheby on 5 October to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. He must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and is banned from acting as a company director for a further decade. Confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are ongoing.
Wife unknowingly made director of 18 companies
Sharon Pheby, 51, admitted aiding and abetting her husband in breaching his ban. The court heard she discovered in August 2020 that she had been registered as a director of around 18 companies when she believed she was only a director of one. During an interview under caution, she told investigators her husband said he had “no choice” but to make her a director to keep the businesses running.
She received a 12-month community order, 100 hours of unpaid work, and a five-year director disqualification. Her guilty plea was entered on the basis that she did not actively help her husband until 1 August 2020.
False document used in legal dispute
The false employment document came to light during civil court proceedings involving a franchisee’s claim for damages. The case centred on several contractual disputes, including Pheby’s actual role within the company. A jury at Chester Crown Court unanimously convicted him in August 2025 of using a false instrument with intent that it be accepted as genuine.
Pheby’s original seven-year ban had been accepted in July 2019 following the liquidation of T.P.F Limited, another food company he directed. Investigators found he had failed to maintain adequate accounting records, making it impossible to account for more than £200,000 in current assets or properly explain nearly £800,000 of expenditure. The company’s financial position deteriorated from net liabilities of £13,084 to a deficiency of £164,956 by the time it entered liquidation in September 2017.
In court, Desmond Pheby claimed he had stepped back into the company to protect it during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, analysis of company bank accounts revealed that more than £170,000 was transferred to his personal accounts during 2020.
David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “Desmond Pheby knew he was banned from running companies but continued managing his business regardless. His original ban followed serious failures over company accounting records, but rather than learn from that, he ignored the restrictions placed on him.”
What this means for Poles in the UK
This case highlights the serious consequences of breaching a director disqualification in the UK. Anyone running a business or working in management should be aware that director bans are legally enforceable and carry criminal penalties if ignored. If you are employed by or considering doing business with a company, you can check whether its directors are disqualified by searching the Companies House register.
Director disqualifications typically last between two and 15 years and prevent individuals from acting as a director, taking part in the promotion or formation of a company, or managing a business without court permission. Breaching a ban can result in imprisonment for up to two years and unlimited fines, as well as extended disqualification periods.
Directors of UK companies have legal obligations to maintain proper accounting records and ensure transparency. The Insolvency Service provides guidance on director responsibilities at its Director Information Hub. If you suspect someone is breaching a director ban, you can report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
