Sandra Williams, who trades as Menu Printers, was awarded the injunction order against Martin Draycott, John Mortlock, Paul Smith and K Khoo following a hearing at Chelmsford County Court on 1 August 2014.
Mortlock is the sole listed director of Geneva Printing Solutions, the Basildon-based print business where Williams rented an office from February 2013 to May 2014 and where Draycott and Smith were also employed.
Draycott and Mortlock are also directors of Geneva Printers, which was incorporated on 12 June 2014, and former directors of Menu Printers, which they incorporated on 7 May 2014 and applied to strike off on 25 June 2014.
Khoo was self-employed and had worked for Williams since 2011.
Williams alleged that while she was on holiday with her husband Stephen Williams (who was responsible for the day-to-day running of Menu Printers) from 12-27 May - during which time Khoo was left to oversee the business - the four defendants printed and took payment for "several jobs for customers that were the claimants [sic]".
The defendants were also alleged to have: downloaded over 3,000 artworks/designs that were the property of the claimant; removed and password-protected the claimant's computer, containing the entire sales record of Menu Printers; changed the password on Menu Printers' emails; removed the claimant's sales order book; removed all work in progress job bags; and moved the claimant's sales desk (where Khoo worked) into the defendants' office.
Williams also alleged that the defendants had variously told her customers that: Menu Printers was under new management; that Williams was an imposter; and that she had "done a bunk" and the company was now under new ownership.
Williams said that while her husband had spoken to various parties, including Draycott, Mortlock and Khoo, about selling part of the business (as he was planning on going into semi-retirement) prior to the couple going on holiday, no agreement had been reached.
"Stephen Williams would not agree any sale of [the] business since he was fully aware that for it to be legal it would have to be with my consent and signature," she added. "At no time did I have any discussions with the defendants, or any other persons, regarding selling them part of my business."
The court injunction order prescribes that the defendants return any copies of any client list, data files, design/artwork, passwords, work in progress and papers stock belonging to the claimant and that they delete any electronic copies of said files etc.
The defendants were also ordered to cease using the names Menu Printing or Menu Printing Ltd "for any purpose whatsoever without the claimant's prior permission".
Draycott was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.
