Frederick Barclay avoids jail as high court gives him three months to pay ex-wife

theguardian.com:

Sir Frederick Barclay has avoided a prison sentence after a high court judge gave him three months to pay money owed to his ex-wife.

However, the judge publicly rebuked Barclay, along with his nephews who run the Daily Telegraph, for failing to pay a penny of a £100m divorce settlement.

The former owner of the Ritz hotel could yet face a spell in prison. Mr Justice Cohen adjourned sentencing for three months on Thursday after Barclay paid the £245,000 in legal fees and delayed maintenance over which he was in found in contempt of court in July. But the entire court order and legal fees now amounting to more than £1m as well as further maintenance payments for his wife of 34 years, Hiroko Barclay, are still outstanding.

In an unusual rebuke, Cohen said: “It should be a matter a shame for Sir Frederick and his nephews that Lady Barclay is left with next to nothing by way of financial resources for the future … It seems to me extraordinary that every member of the family is prepared to put their hands into their pockets to help Sir Frederick avoid prison but will do nothing to help assist the greatest victim in this, namely Lady Barclay.”

Barclay’s lawyer Charles Howard QC told the court that the £245,000 had come via a loan from the couple’s only child, Amanda. Barclay’s nephews, Aidan, Howard and Alistair Barclay, the sons of his twin brother, David, have been paying his legal fees, which amount to £1.6m so far after his wife was forced to issue contempt proceedings for non-payment.

None of the £100m the judge ordered him to pay his ex-wife in May 2021 has been paid, while her legal team, headed by Lady Shackleton, have worked without pay for most of that time. Hearings for the judgment summons to enforce payment have so far