Woman denies luxury fraud charges

A 52-year-old "prolific fraudster" has gone on trial accused of fraudulently obtaining paintings, jewellery and antiques worth thousands of pounds.

Shahra Marsh is alleged to have duped nine jewellers, fashion houses and auctioneers in Paris over two years.

Ms Marsh denied 23 charges of fraud and concealing goods when she appeared at Southwark Crown Court.

She allegedly did not pay for goods she had bid for and which were shipped to London before the firms realised.

Among the items she is accused of obtaining are silverware worth more than £20,000 from French silversmiths Odiot.

Personal trust

All the alleged offences took place between May 2005 and July 2007.

The prosecution said she followed a pattern of gaining the trust of the auction houses either in person or through letters.

She would bid for items, usually by phone, and then arrange shipment to addresses in London, with cheques sent to cover the bill.

Paris auction house Tajan received a cheque for £114,800 to cover the cost of items including a Luis XV commode, five paintings and diamond-encrusted jewellery, the court was told.

A month later - after the goods had been sent to Ms Marsh - the cheque allegedly bounced, but Tajan could not get hold of her.

Chief prosecutor Sonal Dashani said Ms Marsh had "dishonestly obtained high-class items" over a "substantial period of time".

Jewellers and auctioneers

Miss Dashani added: "Shahra Marsh is a prolific fraudster."

One auction house Giafferi went as far as sending a store representative to London to personally deliver sapphire, diamond and emerald jewellery to Ms Marsh, the court heard.

The charges relate to nine different jewellers and auction houses in Paris, some of which were targeted more than once, it was alleged.

The prosecution said cheques worth more than £210,000 had allegedly bounced after goods were shipped to Ms Marsh.

Ms Marsh said the items found in a storage unit in the City of London had been misidentified as belonging to the auction house.

On other occasions goods were sent to her incorrectly or the firms made a mistake on the invoice resulting in her cancelling payment, she said

The trial continues.