Gangland widow Roberta Williams’ courtroom plea for Essendon home
GANGLAND widow Roberta Williams has begged the Supreme Court not to throw her out of her late father-in-law’s home.
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GANGLAND widow Roberta Williams has begged the Supreme Court not to throw her out of her late father-in-law’s home.
Her barrister John Selimi, working for free, 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.
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Dhakota was also at the hearing, which was attended by five people, including two bizarrely clad in black beanies, a usually outlawed headwear.
In March, Supreme Court Associate Justice Mark Derham ordered the former Primrose St home of George Williams be sold to enable a $576,000 tax debt to be paid.
Police had initially paid George’s tax debt to get Carl to co-operate, but asked for and received it back from the Australian Taxation Office when Carl was murdered in prison.
Mr Selimi said old man George would be rolling his grave to hear of the calamity.
“It’s a quest for justice from the graves of George and Carl Williams. And I don’t say that for dramatic purposes,” he said.
The Williams clan claim justice was denied on February 8 when Associate Justice Derham made a summary judgment condemning his client and her daughter to the streets.
Mr Selimi said Ms Williams was sick in hospital with a migraine on the day and unable to attend court or instruct her lawyer.
Ms Williams has appealed the decision of several grounds, claiming it was unjust and that she was denied natural justice.
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Mr Selimi hopes to convince the court to allow the matter to be brought to trial before a
judge.
The court heard Ms Williams hopes to convince the judge that she was too sick to attend the earlier hearings, and that George was too depressed to enter into a tax payment arrangement in the first place.
“It’s an absolute right for every person to have their day in court. To expose the truth,” Mr Selimi said.
He described it as a “travesty of justice” to deprive the Williams family a chance to defend their home.
The matter will return to court next week.