Ex-Ritz owner was ‘evicted’ from home amid £100m divorce war: Surviving Barclay brother, 87, is being lent cash by his nephews to fund split from Lady Barclay who wants him jailed for failing to pay up, High Court hears
- Billionaire tycoon Sir Frederick Barclay has been ‘evicted’ from his home
- High Court judge was told that his nephews are financially supporting him
- Sir Frederick’s ex-wife alleges that he breached court orders to pay £100m
- Financial order was made last year at the end of their 34-year marriage
Billionaire tycoon Sir Frederick Barclay – one half of Britain’s ultra-secretive media mogul twins – has been ‘evicted’ from his home, a High Court judge was sensationally told yesterday.
A lawyer for the 87-year-old businessman, who has a financial interest in the Ritz Hotel in London and owns the Daily Telegraph newspaper, told the court that his nephews were financially supporting him in a battle over a £100million divorce payout.
Sir Frederick, who with his late twin brother Sir David was one of the country’s richest people, is facing proceedings after his former wife Lady Hiroko Barclay alleged that he breached court orders to comply with a financial order at the end of their 34-year marriage.
The tycoon’s lawyers told the hearing that he had insufficient funds and was being lent money by his family to pay for part of his legal fees.
Representing Lady Barclay, who attended dressed in black with pearl earrings, Stewart Leech QC said that Sir Frederick’s former wife was in a ‘considerably worse situation’ after he failed to pay the divorce award.
In May last year, the High Court ruled that Lady Barclay should receive lump sums totalling £100million from Sir Frederick.
But a maintenance payment of £60,000 has been ‘unilaterally halved’ and she has ‘not received the capital she was supposed to receive’, the Family Division of the High Court in London heard.
Billionaire tycoon Sir Frederick Barclay (right) – one half of Britain’s ultra-secretive media mogul twins (left, his late brother Sir David Barclay) – has been ‘evicted’ from his home, a High Court judge was sensationally told yesterday
Castle belonging to the Barclay brothers on the Island of Breqhou near Sark. A court heard that Sir Frederick had been evicted from his flat
A lawyer for the 87-year-old businessman, who has a financial interest in the Ritz Hotel in London (pictured), told the court that his nephews were financially supporting him
Sir Frederick is facing proceedings after his former wife Lady Hiroko Barclay (pictured) alleged that he breached court orders to comply with a financial order at the end of their marriage
The court was also told that Sir Frederick was also ‘significantly in default of payment of legal fees’.
Mr Leech previously said Lady Barclay was asking a judge to commit her ex-husband to jail for breaching an order to produce documents and pay a £50million tranche of their settlement.
Charles Howard QC, representing Sir Frederick, acknowledged certain sums had not been paid but said: ‘Whether he’s at fault remains to be decided. He says he’s got no money to do it and his bank statements… show that.’
‘He’s been evicted from his home,’ the barrister added.
Mr Howard previously argued Lady Barclay would have to show Sir Frederick had the ‘means to meet’ the £50 million and had ‘wilfully refused or neglected’ to pay.
Judge Sir Jonathan Cohen adjourned the matter ‘to obtain further evidence as to Sir Frederick’s [mental] capacity’. He also ordered the businessman to pay £20,000 to pay for a single joint expert, an individual appointed to provide outside expertise in court cases, by 12 noon on Monday.
The court was also told that Sir Frederick (pictured leaving court on an earlier occasion) was also ‘significantly in default of payment of legal fees’
The Barclay brothers were among the UK’s most high-profile businessmen
‘We are quietly confident that we will be able to get the funds via the nephew,’ Mr Howard said.
The next hearing is due to take place on April 6.
Sir Frederick was recently embroiled in separate High Court litigation with his nephews over the bugging of his conversations at The Ritz hotel.
The court previously heard the sons of Sir Frederick’s late twin brother Sir David, Aidan, Howard and Alistair, had made the secret recordings at the London landmark over a number of months. However, the family said the case had been settled in June.
The Barclay brothers were among the UK’s most high-profile businessmen. Their interests have included The Ritz and the Telegraph Newspaper Group. Both also had links to the Channel Islands and Monaco.
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