Why we had to bug our billionaire uncle in row over Ritz, by his nephews
SIR Frederick Barclay’s nephews yesterday admitted they bugged the conservatory of the Ritz hotel – because they were ‘seriously concerned’ about the billionaire.
Alistair Barclay, 30, bought the secret listening device and hid it in the conservatory of the five-star hotel to record his uncle’s conversations, he admitted in legal papers filed at the High Court.
He and his brothers – the sons of Sir Frederick’s twin brother Sir David – said they were worried that their uncle posed ‘a significant risk of harm’ to the family business.
The 85-year-old tycoon launched legal action against his three nephews and accused them of carrying out ‘commercial espionage on a vast scale’ after learning of the bug. He said he felt ‘betrayed’.
Alistair Barclay and his brothers Aidan and Howard defended their actions as ‘necessary and reasonable’. Alistair, a former racing car driver, said he had noticed a ‘remarkable change’ in the behaviour of his uncle and his daughter Amanda.
He planted the bug in the London hotel in November last year without telling his brothers. He listened to the recordings and showed transcripts of some to his brothers and to his 28-year-old nephew, Andrew.
Sir Frederick has accused them of taping more than 1,000 conversations, including negotiations with a Saudi investor. He claimed the investor had offered £1.3billion to buy the Ritz and has questioned why his nephews sold the landmark for around £750million earlier this year. His nephews insist they would have accepted a higher offer if one had been made.
Sir Frederick and Sir David accumulated a fortune through investments in property and business and their empire is now run through family trusts.
The brothers – former owners of The Scotsman newspaper – were born in Hammersmith to Scottish parents.
Earlier this year Sir Frederick and his daughter Amanda accused Sir David’s sons Aidan, 64, Howard, 60, and Alistair – and Aidan’s son Andrew – of breach of confidence and privacy over the recordings.
Yesterday, in a formal response, they accepted the accusations. They admitted the recordings contained ‘private and confidential information’ but said they had acted to protect their business interests. They had never intended to make the recordings public, they said, and Alistair later destroyed the bug and his laptop.
The nephews said: ‘Our intention has always been to act in the best interests of the entire family.’
Their lawyer, Heather Rogers, QC, said: ‘The defendants will seek to agree the appropriate damages/compensation with the claimants [Sir Frederick and Amanda Barclay].’