‘An act of betrayal’

Architect Jerry Ryan is suing his friend Barry English over alleged misappropriation of funds, in a complex legal battle that has become remarkably bitter and personal

Barry English: the founder and managing director of Winthrop Engineering, which has annual revenues of €150 million Pic: Courtpix
Jerry Ryan: suing his former friend Barry English over transfers of millions of euro Pic: Courtpix

Barry English “was a friend, a close confidant and someone I trusted”, prominent boomtime architect Jerry Ryan told the Commercial Court last Friday. That was back in 2011 when Ryan was in financial difficulties.

Now, the court heard, the 59-year-old Ryan is suing the businessman in a complex, high-stakes legal battle for allegedly misappropriating monies in a Middle Eastern ...