A High Court judge has lashed out at the deviousness of the Quinn family in scheming to put assets beyond the reach of the former Anglo Irish Bank

Mr. Justice Peter Kelly said it ‘reeked of dishonesty’.

The comments from the judge were made as he appointed receivers over assets owned by various members of the Quinn family.

Mr. Justice Peter Kelly expressed his outrage at members of the Quinn family as he extended orders freezing the assets of the Quinn children and 2 in-laws.

He said he has been presiding over the Commercial list since 2004 and has had to deal more and more often with cases involving fraud, sharp practice, dishonesty and chicanery.

However he added that never had he seen such conduct on the scale demonstrated here nor with the deviousness with which this scheme has been operated.

The comments refer to a plot by bankrupt businessman Sean Quinn, his jailed son Sean Quinn Junior and the missing Peter-Darragh Quinn to put assets beyond the reach of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC).

On Tuesday he will consider whether the Quinn children should carry on getting living expenses of €2,000 a week.