Barclay heirs to pay uncle after admitting bugging

Settlement sum to be agreed privately

Billionaire businessman David Barclay’s sons will pay damages to David’s twin brother after acknowledging that one of the relatives bugged Frederick Barclay at the Ritz Hotel in London.

Alistair Barclay “thought it necessary” to record Frederick and Amanda Barclay’s private conversations at the hotel because he “was very troubled” that the two posed “a significant risk of harm to his brothers Aidan and Howard Barclay,” and their interests, a lawyer for the sons said in a filing yesterday.

Legal spat

David Barclay’s sons will pay general damages for misuse of private information and breaches of confidence, the attorney said in the filing. They will attempt to agree to the levels of compensation privately, but will seek a judge’s ruling if they fail, the lawyer said.

The admissions may be an attempt to resolve a legal spat that has opened a window into the relationship between the reclusive billionaire twins. The Barclay clan controls the Daily Telegraph newspaper and other businesses at the heart of the UK establishment.

Alistair Barclay purchased an “offthe-shelf” recording device from a central London shop, according to the filing. The bug was put in the conservatory at the Ritz in early November until mid January, according to the filing. The bug was placed to capture private discussions between Frederick and his daughter, Amanda, who were negotiating the sale of the historic hotel near Buckingham Palace.

The Ritz was sold for around 800 million pounds ($1 billion) in March.