A judge at London’s High Court said he did not trust two American businessmen who used to own Liverpool FC, saying they would “abuse” the court process if it suited them.

Texas-based Tom Hicks and George Gillett lost control of Liverpool when the club was sold to New England Sports Ventures in a £300m deal in October 2010.

Mr Justice Peter Smith Hicks criticised Hicks and Gillett when hearing evidence during the latest phase of litigation launched following the sale.

He refused to allow Hicks and Gillett to have “full and unrestricted” access to private documentation featuring in the litigation because of fears about “potential misconduct”.

The judge said an American lawyer representing Hicks and Gillett had twice misled an American court in October 2010.

“I do not trust your clients,” the judge told British lawyers representing Hicks and Gillett. “(They) have demonstrated... that if it suits them they will abuse the process.”

Hicks and Gillett tried and failed to block the sale of Liverpool before launching damages claims in which they alleged the club was sold at a “substantial undervalue” and said the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and then Liverpool directors had “deliberately” blocked their attempts to “refinance”.

Smith said an American lawyer representing the businessmen had “misled” a Texan court twice in October 2010 – “untruthfully” saying an application could not be made in London because it was “late” and courts were closed and saying a similar application had not been made in the UK when it had.