A family friend of Mike Lynch has hit out at the boss of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HP) for what he has claimed is "a complete lack of humanity" in pursuit of the firm's legal claim against the late Suffolk tech tycoon.

Dr Lynch died along with his teenage daughter Hannah when the yacht Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily on August 19.

Since the tragedy, which claimed the lives of seven people, the tech giant has vowed to pursue its claim for up to £3bn in damages against his estate. 

Patrick Jacob - who was a close friend of Mike Lynch and his family for more than 15 years after meeting him in Suffolk - criticised the company.

“The CEO’s recent comments show that HPE has reverted to its old tactics—pursuing a man through a relentless battle in the press and now his widow," said the London investment banker, who until very recently lived near Hollesley.

"Before the bodies are even laid to rest, they’ve already begun circling like vultures, demonstrating a complete lack of humanity. This is nothing short of heartless and distasteful.” 

Hannah Lynch also died in the sinking of the BayesianHannah Lynch also died in the sinking of the Bayesian (Image: Family handout/PA)

But HPE's senior director of global communications Adam Bauer responded: "There’s really nothing to add. Dr Lynch’s death is a tragedy. It doesn’t change the fact that a judge found in 2022 that he defrauded HP, and we’re awaiting resolution on damages."

Dr Lynch - who lived on a farm near Wickham Market with his family - was cleared in a criminal case brought against him in the US where he faced fraud charges over the sale of the Cambridge software company he founded - Autonomy - to HP.

On his return to the UK, he spoke to this paper about his legal nightmare and his desire to help others caught out by the UK's one-sided extradition treaty with the US which resulted in him spending many months under house arrest in San Francisco before facing trial in June.

In a separate civil case brought against him in 2022, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) won a UK High Court civil claim.

He and his former finance director, Sushovan Hussain, were accused of fraud over its 11 billion dollar (£8.37bn) takeover of Autonomy in 2011.

Mr Justice Hildyard is set to rule on the final sum soon - but said it would be "considerably less" than the sum sought.

In the interview with this newspaper after he was acquitted by the jury in the US criminal case, Dr Lynch said he would be appealing in the civil case.

He felt that the strength of witness statements it relied on was undermined once they were interrogated during the criminal case. 

But after his death, a spokesman for HPE said it was "HPE's intention to follow the proceedings through to their conclusion".

A number of Dr Lynch's Suffolk friends remained loyal to him - even after he was extradited to the US to face criminal charges - and saw the case as a travesty.

Dr Lynch's death means his widow, Angela Bacares, could now be liable for the damages claim in London.

(Image: Patrick Jacob)