Ulster Bank official Gary Barr: Sent friend request to Michael Taggart’s wife
A HIGH-ranking Ulster Bank official was a “liar” who became obsessed with business tycoon Michael Taggart, spying on Mr Taggart’s wife on social media and sending her a ‘friend request’ on Facebook, a court has heard.
The shocking claim was put to banker Gary Barr in the latest sensational twist in a dramatic High Court case in Belfast where the County Derry man is suing Ulster Bank, accusing the institution of setting out to destroy his business.
The bank is counter-suing for £5.5M in personal guarantees it says it had over some of his properties in Belfast and Dublin.
Mr Taggart had spent 17 days being cross-examined in the case. The Drumsurn man and his brother John allege they were kept in the dark about credit concerns within the bank and claim that had they been warned, they could have sold assets with several offers turned down.
Bank officials are now being cross-examined in the sensational case.
Gary Barr was accused by Mr Taggart’s lawyers of having a personal animosity and “hatred” for everything to do with the Taggart Group which extended to accessing the woman’s social media account.
He emphatically denied the accusations, insisting the request was sent inadvertently during online research for the multi-million pound case.
Mr Barr, who has been with Ulster Bank for 14 years, was part of the relationship management team dealing with the Taggart account prior to the firm’s collapse in 2008.
Under cross-examination by Gerald Simpson QC, for the brothers, he was asked about accessing Mrs Taggart’s Facebook page in January last year.
“Why on earth were you, as a witness in the bank’s case, seeking to go to the personal Facebook page of the wife of a defendant in that case?” asked Mr Simpson.
The bank official insisted it was among a series of links thrown up by an internet search, all of which he said he clicked on.
But Mr Simpson claimed there was another motive behind looking at the social media page of his client’s wife.
Michael Taggart leaves the High Court. Judge heard Ulster Bank official was ‘obsessed’ with the Taggarts
He put it to him: “I suggest to you that you have a personal animosity against the Taggarts and that includes relatives, that you hate these people, that you became obsessed by them.”
Categorically rejecting the allegation, Mr Barr replied that it came up in a search carried out as part of his preparations for the case.
However, according to the Taggarts’ barrister he was looking at every aspect of his clients’ lives, trying to see if it would “do some damage” to their case.
He specifically alleged the bank representative was seeking any reference to John Taggart having attended a party at a time when he was said to be unwell.
On being told it was nothing more than a coincidence, Mr Simpson asked: “Is it just a coincidence you asked to be a friend?”
Mr Barr responded: “That was not done deliberately.
“I remember getting a message from the lady asking if we had worked together before and I remember at that point being shocked.
“The implication of the message was I had put the friend request in and I was not aware.”
As the exchanges continued Mr Simpson said: “I suggest all of this is just lies.”
Despite Mr Barr “strongly refuting” the accusation, the barrister insisted: “It’s a lie. It show’s you’re an obsessed man obsessed by the Taggarts.”
The hearing continues.
Tags: