Court orders sale of Roberta Williams’ Essendon home

CARL Williams’ widow, Roberta Williams, could be left homeless with a court ordering the sale of her Essendon property to meet a huge bill owed to the ATO by her late father-in-law.

GANGSTER’S widow Roberta Williams could be left homeless after a court ­ordered the sale of her Essendon property to pay a huge tax bill.

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Her late father-in-law George Williams — dad of murdered underworld kingpin Carl — still owes $576,000 to the Australian Taxation Office.

He once owned the Primrose St home that Roberta has lived in for several years. It is believed to be worth over $1 million.

On Friday, Supreme Court Associate Justice Mark Derham ordered the house sold to enable the ATO to be paid, ending Ms Williams’ long fight to keep it.

It is also home to Dhakota, Ms Williams’ daughter with Carl, and her new partner and their son. Last year Ms Williams abused lawyers as she struggled to hang on to the property.

She said on Friday she had fought to keep the house because it was left to Dhakota.

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Roberta Williams. Picture: Ian Currie

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“Victoria Police made a deal with Carl to pay the tax debt, I’ve got the documents,’’ she said.

“They reneged just before Carl was murdered. They got their money back. It’s appalling. Carl lost his life and for what?”

According to the judgment handed down on Friday, in 2009 then Deputy Commissioner Simon Overland authorised a Victoria Police payment of the tax debt, but the deal was later blocked.

The judgement reads: “On March 17 2009, (Inspector Peter) Wilkins called (the ATO) and advised that Overland had OK’d the payment of George Williams’ tax debt.

“However Wilkins asked ... whether the payment could be held in abeyance by the ATO until Victoria Police advised that it could be applied in ­reduction of the tax debts.

“Wilkins stated that Victoria Police still had some issues that they were discussing with George Williams that required resolution,” the judgment said.

But the deal was blocked and the ATO has been fighting to recover the debt since. Carl was murdered in jail in 2010.

Roberta Williams’s house at 82 Primrose St. Picture: Adam Elwood

George Williams’ girlfriend Kathleen Bourke and Roberta Williams were on Friday told the Primrose St home would be sold from under them.

Ms Williams said: “I knew nothing about the deal with Carl, but what I’ve read from documents is they tricked him. What a fool he was to trust them. Now a little girl is about to be thrown on to the street.’’

She claimed her former ­father-in-law had no right to put a caveat over the house in a deal with the ATO. “This house was Carl’s mum’s, not George’s ... it was left to Dhakota,’’ she said.

Ms Williams abused Ms Bourke’s solicitors last year during the house battle, the judgement also reveals.

“(Kathleen Bourke’s) solicitor’s clerk received a telephone call (from Roberta) in which the second defendant abused the solicitors,” it said.

Associate Justice Derham ruled: “The (ATO) be paid their costs first from the net proceeds of sale of the land in Primrose St, Essendon.”

Ms Williams said she had lodged an appeal, citing her poor health during proceedings.

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