Personal shopper and stylist charged with £277k fraud over 'Gucci handbag scam'
The stylist and personal shopper allegedly promised clients she would invest their money in Gucci handbags for a profit
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A personal shopper and stylist has been charged with multiple counts of fraud after allegedly 'telling clients she would invest their money into Gucci handbags for profit'.
Milda Chellingsworth is alleged to have charged £150-an-hour to help clients pack their suitcase before a holiday, £680-a-day to be a 'personal gift shopper' and around £1,000 as a flat day rate.
The Lithuanian-born personal shopper also offered a retainer to the super-rich, charging upwards of £50,000 for them to be able to call her 24 hours-a-day.
The 43-year-old was due to appear at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Monday, charged with three counts of fraud between 2019 and 2023.
Chellingsworth, of Sundridge in Kent, is the director of SFY Styling Concierge Ltd and SFY Styling Ltd.
She did not appear in court because her attendance clashed with another case at Bromley County Court, and her case was adjourned.
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She is charged with £52,000 fraud between June 10, 2019 and May 31 2021 after 'dishonestly making representations' to Trevor Coop that she would invest his money into Gucci handbags in exchange for a profit.
The personal shopper is also charged with a £78,400 fraud between April 1 and May 31 2021.
Chellingsworth is accused of similarly falsely representing to Patricia Navarro that she would invest his money into luxury Gucci handbags.
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She faces a third charge of fraud amounting to £146,861.63 between May 1 and August 31, 2023, after allegedly abusing her role as the retained agent of Mandy Gray.
Chellingsworth has been accused of making false representations after keeping money in two bank accounts of Styling For You and spending it for personal use instead of benefiting her client's business.
Frazer Bradshaw, her lawyer, told the magistrates on Monday: 'She has a substantive matter at Bromley County Court this morning. It is a substantive hearing at the County Court all morning.
'Her daughter is unwell as well and she needs to go home to assist her.'
Bench Chairman Richard Hay questioned which cort should have taken priority for Chellingsworth's attendance and unwillingly adjourned the case.