Australian Taxation Office hits back at claims Roberta Williams’ father-in-law was too unwell, court hears
GANGLAND widow Roberta Williams has no hope of retaining the Essendon home of her dead father-in-law George Williams, a court has heard. Here’s why.
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GANGLAND widow Roberta Williams has no hope of retaining the home of her dead father-in-law, a court has heard.
The Australian Taxation Office today hit back at claims George Williams was too mentally unwell to remortgage his house to pay a whopping tax debt.
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In March, Supreme Court Associate Justice Mark Derham ordered the former Primrose St home of Williams be sold to enable the $576,000 debt to be paid.
Ms Williams appealed the decision, sooking that the judge had acted unfairly.
James McKay, for the tax office, mocked the “dramatic” display put on by Ms Williams’ barrister John Selimi during a hearing last week.
In that hearing, Mr Selimi said it was the last wish of Ms Williams’ murdered gangster husband Carl for their daughter Dhakota to have a roof over her head.
That’s why he co-operated with police and was subsequently murdered in jail, he said.
Police had initially paid George’s tax debt to get Carl to co-operate, but asked for and received it back from the ATO when Carl was murdered in prison.
But Mr McKay said whatever agreement Carl had with police had nothing to do with the unpaid tax debt.
Carl was beaten to death in jail in 2010 on the same day the Herald Sun revealed police had been paying for Dhakota’s school fees.
Mr McKay said it remained unclear what, if any, agreement police actually had with the killer.
“Had full compliance occurred, you’d think Victoria Police would have issued a letter,” he said.
“They might deny it and say he didn’t co-operate. We don’t know because police aren’t part to the proceeding.”
Ms Selimi, who is working free of charge, believes the matter should go to trial before a judge.
He claimed Ms Williams’ previous legal providers had done a rotten job of representing her.
“For all we know they could have been fools,” he said.
Ms Williams claims George was told by his lawyer that he “had no choice” but to sign onto the mortgage agreement.
Justice Joanne Cameron has reserved her decision.