Mr Justice Floyd criticised Tom Hicks and George Gillett as he granted anti-suit injunctions in a bid to nullify decisions taken in the court in Dallas. The judge said he had given a ruling in London on Wednesday that meant the English directors of Liverpool could agree a £300million takeover by John W Henry's New England Sporting Ventures (NESV). But before the board could make any decision, Tom Hicks, one of the American owners, secured a temporary restraining order from the Texas court. Mr Justice Floyd said that, on the face of it, that amounted to "unconscionable conduct on the part of Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett". Mr Justice Floyd said his mandatory orders were not aimed at the Texas court but Hicks and Gillett to stop them taking further action there and to nullify any orders obtained in Dallas. David Chivers QC, who told the judge that his clients, NESV, already considered themselves the new owners of Liverpool, asked the judge for a speedy serving of his orders on Hicks and Gillett so the deal with NESV can be completed and money transferred from the US. He said if the deal was not completed on Friday, then Hicks and Gillett had succeeded in stopping the sale of Liverpool before repayment of the debt to RBS became due. The judge gave Hicks and Gillett until 4pm on Friday to comply with his orders. "The owners' behaviour conclusively demonstrates just how incorrigible they are. "They are absolutely determined to stop this transaction in its tracks and they have no lawful justification for behaving in this way." He added: "This is unconscionable behaviour of the worst possible kind and they are probably sitting there giggling." Mr Chivers told the judge that NESV "are the owners of Liverpool now". He described Hicks and Gillett as "the owners from beyond the grave who are seeking to exercise with their dead hand a continuing grip on this company. "That is simply not acceptable." Liverpool issued a statement on behalf of Broughton, Purslow and Ayre. "The independent directors of Liverpool Football Club are delighted with the verdict of Mr Justice Floyd in the High Court this afternoon which now requires Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett to withdraw their Texas restraining order by 4pm tomorrow," it said. "We are glad to have taken another important step towards completing the sale process."
