Unreliable... how judge damned former AA chief

THE former chief executive of car breakdown giant AA has come in for extraordinary criticism by a judge for giving unreliable evidence in the High Court.

In a damning summary last week, Simon Breakwell was accused of being inconsistent. The judge complained of being unable ‘to place any real weight on his assertions’.

The remarks were made at the close of a bitter legal feud between AA and the firm’s former advisers, Fenchurch Advisory Partners.

In his ruling, Deputy High Court judge Sean O’Sullivan said: ‘With perhaps one exception, I formed the view that all of these factual witnesses were doing their best to assist the court and were reasonably honest and straightforward about their recollection of events.

‘The one exception to the general rule was Mr Breakwell, who did claim to remember what had been said and intended at meetings which took place almost three years ago.’ But the judge said Breakwell’s testimony did ‘not always fit with the contemporaneous documents’, adding he ‘convinced himself of a particular narrative and was determined to insist on that narrative’.

Breakwell said he ‘remembered perfectly’ particulars of what was said in meetings from three years ago, but was then unable to explain more simple details.

He took the reins of AA in 2017, when he replaced Bob Mackenzie, who was sacked for brawling with a fellow executive.

Breakwell, who cofounded travel website Expedia and led Uber’s taxi expansion into Europe, has since joined City fund manager Fairview Equity Partners.

AA declined to comment, other than to say Breakwell was no longer on its board.

Breakwell was also contacted for comment through his new firm. The case concerned a lawsuit from Fenchurch, which worked with the AA during the unsuccessful sale of its insurance division, otherwise known as ‘Project Zodiac’. AA later fell out with the adviser in a row over £350,000 in unpaid fees related to the failed transaction. Breakwell was chief executive throughout the negotiations. The AA, which was bought by private equity in 2020, was ordered to pay Fenchurch the full amount owed.