Property investor Paddy McKillen loses appeal on Barclays documents

Property investor Paddy McKillen has lost a High Court appeal over the release of documents which he claimed would show the Department of Finance had “inappropriate” contacts with representatives of the billionaire Barclay brothers.

Mr Justice Seamus Noonan yesterday dismissed his appeal under the Freedom of Information Act against a November 2014 decision of the Information Commissioner related to the documents.

Mr McKillen had sought full access to 12 documents he believed would show the department was lobbied by interests linked to David and Frederick Barclay concerning acquisition of Mr McKillen’s “fully-performing” loans as part of a hostile takeover strategy concerning the London-based Maybourne hotel group.