One of the Premier League's most prominent surgeons is taking legal action against a prestigious Mayfair car dealership for £78,000 after his luxury Bentley was stolen from his driveway, sparking a dispute over responsibility for an inactive vehicle tracker.
The Stolen Bentley and Insurance Dispute
Fares Haddad, a world-acclaimed orthopaedic surgeon who performed the crucial hamstring surgery on England captain Harry Kane, has launched a legal battle against Jack Barclay Ltd, the UK's oldest Bentley dealership. The case centres around his Bentley Continental GTW12, which was stolen in January 2023 from his driveway.
Mr Haddad attempted to claim on his insurance but faced refusal when his insurers discovered the Bentley wasn't fitted with a properly activated tracking device. The surgeon contends that the Mayfair dealer negligently failed to ensure the car's location could be monitored by a registered electronic tracker if stolen.
Conflicting Accounts in Court
The Central London County Court heard that Mr Haddad, 58, assumed staff at Jack Barclay would set up a continuing tracker subscription through Vodafone following conversations and email exchanges with a showroom executive back in 2019 when he purchased the vehicle.
His barrister, Bradley Say, told Judge Andrew Holmes that the surgeon had specifically asked about the tracker when collecting the Bentley because of previous problems he'd experienced with the tracker on his Aston Martin. Mr Haddad testified: 'I assumed they were setting it up for me and that it would be activated and functioning, and that if I needed to do anything I would be told what to do.'
However, defence barrister Sajid Suleman argued there was no promise made by Jack Barclay staff to activate the tracker, insisting the responsibility fell entirely on Mr Haddad to maintain his subscription after the initial 12-month period.
The Financial and Professional Fallout
Mr Haddad, clinical director of the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, is now fighting for £78,643 - the amount paid out under his hire purchase agreement that his insurers refused to cover after the theft.
The court learned that although the Bentley was sold with a tracker that remained live for the first year, the subscription was never properly registered or renewed. By the time of the theft in 2023, the tracking system was completely inactive. Investigations revealed a Jack Barclay engineer had fitted and commissioned the tracker, but customer details needed to set up the subscription were never supplied to Vodafone.
Jack Barclay Ltd, renowned for its iconic vintage Mayfair showroom and reputation as 'gentlemen car dealers', denies all negligence, liability and 'foreseeability of loss'. Following a short hearing, Judge Andrew Holmes has reserved his ruling in the case that highlights the complex responsibilities between luxury car dealers and their high-profile clients.
