Wise monkeys supposedly see, speak and hear no evil, just like some wives and partners of gangland mobsters.
Mark Moran’s wife apparently just accepted, without very much pondering, that she, her husband and their children, could enjoy a lavish lifestyle and live in a million dollar home when Mark Moran was supposedly an unemployed pastry cook.
Trisha Moran (Jason Moran’s wife) also ‘looked the other way’ when her unemployed, violent husband made profits from drug trafficking activities. She herself has criminal links—she is the daughter of Les Kane, who disappeared during the ‘Great Bookie Robbery’ dispute. Trisha Kane was only a teenager when she fell in love with Jason Moran.
Both Moran widows, and others linked to gangland identities, may feel too intimidated to question the true source of their wealth. Challenging the motives of a loose cannon like Jason Moran probably isn’t a recommended.
They may not be wise monkeys, but they are both gangland widows.
The long term outcome for the two women is sadly similar: they may not be wise monkeys, but they are both gangland widows.
Human relationships are not always easy to comprehend, but it defies logic when apparently normal, intelligent and attractive women become romantically involved with hardened career criminals. Is it really true love that explains their commitment, or is there a perverse wish to experience emotional, and even physical pain in their relationships with ‘bad boys’?
Cheryl Cole was one who either had an unhealthy fascination with being involved with a violent man, or foolishly believed that her influence would lead to his reform. When she chose to become involved with the ‘Whiskey Au Go Go’ killer, James Finch, any optimistic hopes that she might have had were doomed from the start.
Cheryl Cole met Finch on a jail visit in the 1980s. An unlikely attraction developed between them, and the couple were married while serving time in prison in 1986. Finch maintained that he was not guilty of the Whiskey Au Go Go deaths, and argued that he’d ‘found God’ during his time in custody. When he was unexpectedly deported to England, his adoring wife Cheryl made plans to join him.
...the couple were married while serving time in prison in 1986.
It was the first time that the couple truly lived as husband and wife, and it proved to be a marriage made in hell. Finch subjected Cheryl to frequent bouts of physical abuse, and taunted her with details about the homosexual relationships he had in jail.
Finch subjected Cheryl to frequent bouts of physical abuse...
A sadder and perhaps wiser Cheryl Cole ended her dysfunctional marriage in divorce, and returned to Australia where she died of cancer in 1991.
In April 2007, a sadly pathetic soap opera styledrama erupted in Melbourne’s Supreme Court when Roberta Williams and Renata Laureano clashed heatedly over their mutual interest in serial gangland murderer, Carl Williams.
Roberta Williams, the estranged wife of the convicted killer, has survived many significant traumas in her life. When she was eight-years-old her father was killed in a trucking accident. At least two of her mother’s subsequent de facto partners subjected her to constant physical abuse, and by the time she was 11 Roberta became a street kid, and later a ward of the state, after she was thrown out of the family home by her own mother.
By the time she was 16, Roberta had formed a relationship with Dean Stephens, and within a year a child was born from the union. At the age of 19, Roberta served three months in custody for trafficking amphetamines, and being found in possession of ecstasy and cocaine. Her abusive relationship with Stephens, who was closely associated with the Moran family, ended in 1997.
Roberta served three months in custody for trafficking
By then Roberta was the mother of three children, and she settled in Essendon where she met her future husband Carl Williams in 1998. The relationship was often stormy, but the couple’s marriage survived for nearly a decade, despite enduring regular periods of separation when each served prison terms. Recently, the prospect of surviving at least 35 years apart proved too formidable, and the couple acrimoniously ended their marriage.
...the strains of surviving at least 35 years of being apart proved too formidable...
At least Roberta has Williams’ daughter to dote on in the long and potentially lonely years ahead. But, realistically, what does Renatea Laureano, Carl’s latest romantic interest, have to look forward to in the future? Does the young and curvacious Renate Laureano seriously believe their relationship will survive the 35 years of Carl’s jail sentence?
We are told that love is blind, but a guide dog far less clever than the famous canine ‘Inspector Rex’, would know that the Carl Williams–Renate Laureano ‘relationship’ was destined to fail from the beginning.
Peter Dupas first attacked a woman with a knife when he was 15 years of age. All attempts at reform failed, and he went on to serve jail terms for assault, rape and false imprisonment.
Peter Dupas
‘The Melbourne monster’ also committed at least three bestial murders. The mutilated Margaret Maher, Nicole Patterson and Mersina Halvagis in separate, frenzied knife attacks, and he is the prime suspect in at least two other unsolved murder cases. Behind prison walls Dupas becomes a passive loner, but he is a proven risk to women’s lives whenever he is released into the general public.
How then could a woman 16 years his junior be attracted to this frightening killer with no redeeming features? Grace McConnell may well still be asking herself the same question.
The young mental health nurse first met Dupas at Pentridge Prison when he was serving time after imprisoning a woman at knifepoint in a Lake Eppalock toilet. The two became close, and were married in late 1997. Once Dupas was released, the marriage soon turned sour and ended in divorce.
How then could a woman 16 years his junior be attracted to a frightening killer...
McConnell later described her sex life with Dupas as being very basic and virtually non-existent, and that he was a self-obsessed, lazy and very needy companion.
Perhaps Grace McConnell should count her blessings; at least she is still alive.
Peter Dupas’ victims, from top: Nicole Patterson, Margaret Maher and Mersina Halvagis.
When Mandy Queen first met Archie McCafferty, he had already organised the brutal murders of three complete strangers, and had vowed to add another four random victims to his homicide wish list.
McCafferty’s violent rampage was supposedly triggered by the tragic and accidental death of his infant son. The inconsolable man threatened his family over the fatality, and he also claimed he’d hear voices commanding him to kill seven people to avenge his son’s death. By the time Queen met her ‘true love’, McCafferty was regularly being transferred between prisons because of record for assult during his time in custody.
...organised the brutal murders of three complete strangers, and had vowed to add another four random victims to his homicide wish list...
Married life for Mandy Queen has certainly been eventful. McCafferty married her once, they then divorced, and the couple have since re-married!
Recent reports had the couple based in Britain, where Australian authorities had deported McCafferty in 1997. Back in his homeland McCafferty has apparently become a reformed man, who enjoys his hobby of painting in water colours.
Good luck Mandy. Do you ever wonder if your husband will find time in the future to leave his easel and paint pots, and locate the other four victims he needs to complete his wish list?
‘You can’t help who you fall in love with.’
This familiar sentiment was repeated recently by Tony Mokbel’s de-facto partner, Danielle McGuire. The now 36-year-old is another woman who has seen many ups and downs, since succumbing to the affections of a superficially charming rogue.
McGuire has family links with gangland figures. Her mother is a close friend of Rod Collins, who in June 2008 was charged with a drug related double murder that took place 20 years ago. Collins, who is now aged in his early 60s, is also a person of interest in police investigations into the murders of Terry and Christine Hodson in 2004. Both double killings have similarities that investigating officers intend to pursue.
It is alleged that Danielle McGuire was in a previous relationship with another notorious gangster.
It is alleged that Danielle McGuire was in a previous relationship with another notorious gangster. The former Toorak Road hairdresser and Mokbel recently had a baby daughter called Renata. McGuire also has a 13-year-old daughter from a past relationship. The four shared a fugitive existence in Athens while Tony was on the run.
McGuire and her two daughters arrived back in Australia after a two year absence shortly after Mokbel was extradited back to Barwon Prison from an Athens jail. She will now have to obtain permission from authorities before custodial visits are allowed.
In the recent past, McGuire also allegedly stated that ‘She’d rather Tony was out there somewhere than sitting in a cell.’
That wish appears to be a forlorn hope.
Danielle McGuire in 2006.
McGuire with her and Mokbel’s daughter in 2007.
Wendy Peirce is a gangland woman who has never pretended to be a shrinking violet. During her turbulent marriage to the late Victor Peirce, she was briefly involved in a relationship with Graeme Jensen, a close friend of her husband. It was Jensen’s death, resulting form conflict with police in October 1988, that allegedly led to the revenge killings of two constables a few hours later in Walsh Street, South Yarra.
Victor Peirce and four other men were arrested and charged with the double murders, but were later acquitted. After Victor Peirce himself became a victim of the 1998–2006 Melbourne gangland war, his wife publicly admitted her Peirce had participated in the Walsh Street murders four years before he was gunned down.
Wendy Peirce also slashed another woman across the face with a broken glass during a bar room altercation around the time of the Walsh Street trials, and she received a short custodial sentence for perjury after changing her original statement about what transpired on the night the constables died.
Wendy Peirce also slashed another woman across the face with a broken glass during a bar room altercation...
This change of mind proved to be crucial in the five not guilty decisions, as she was the crown’s only credible witness. Jason Ryan, the crown’s other main source of information, proved to be a chronic liar. He changed his courtroom evidence frequently, and the crown’s case collapsed once Wendy Peirce withdrew her previously stated evidence.
In July 2008, Wendy Peirce pleaded guilty to charges of threatening two of the late Victor’s girlfriends.
Magistrate Peter Mealy bailed her to reappear in the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on 14 August 2008.
Wendy Peirce’s mother-in-law is Kath Pettingill, the matriarch of a notorious criminal family. Pettingill always aggressively supports her brood, and her unremitting loyalty has helped her sons tremendously.
Kath Pettingill
In her heyday, Kath Pettingill was dubbed ‘Granny Evil’, and the former brothel madam spawned and raised some of the most notorious gangsters Melbourne has ever known. Among her sons, there are armed robbers, drug dealers, police informers and murderers. But the most vicious example of her unsavoury offspring was Dennis Allen.
Allen was definitely connected to two murders, and could have been involved in as many as 12. In the slaying of Hells Angel biker Anton Kenny, Dennis Allen reportedly dismembered his victim with a chainsaw. He was also responsible for over 30 armed robberies. Remarkably, because of his value as a police informer, this feared standover man spent very little time behind bars. Despite having many enemies, Dennis ‘Mr Death’ Allen died in hospital from a heart condition when he was still a much feared force in Melbourne’s underworld.
In the slaying of Hells Angel biker Anton Kenny, Dennis Allen reportedly dismembered his victim with a chainsaw...
Victor Peirce and Trevor Pettingill were two other sons of Kath Pettingill, and both were strongly suspected of being among the Walsh Street killers. Each had long standing involvements in drug trafficking, while Victor also participated in armed robberies before a gangland feud ended his life. Trevor Pettingill has served numerous custodial sentences since being cleared of the Walsh Street homicides.
Trevor Pettingill
Another son, Jamie Pettingill was closely linked to his half-brother Dennis Allen, before dying from a drug overdose. Victor Peirce’s brother Lex, also has a minor police record, but he has not been involved in criminal activities for many years.
Since retiring, the ever-feisty Kath Pettingill has moved to the peaceful coastal haven of Venus Bay. The following front door message reportedly greets visitors to her home: ‘Premises protected by shotgun three days a week. Guess which three!’
‘Premises protected by shotgun three days a week. Guess which three!’
Judy Moran and Barbara Williams squared off in April 2008 in a much publicised exchange on Channel 7’s ‘Today Tonight’, but in reality the first face to face meeting of the two was reasonably civil. Both predictably blamed their criminal opponents for Melbourne’s eight-year gangland war, with Barbara Williams claiming that her infamous son (Carl) ‘was backed into a corner. It was kill or be killed.’
Both predictably blamed their criminal opponents for the eight-year gangland war...
Barbara Williams’ battle with problems surrounding from her family’s involvement in the Melbourne drug trade have a long and tragic history. One of her sons, Shane, died of a heroin overdose. Following his brother’s death, Carl Williams allegedly claimed that he never dealt with heroin in his numerous drug trafficking deals because of his brother’s death.
Left and Right: Shane and Carl Williams as childern.
Her husband, George Williams, who is now gravely ill with a serious heart condition, is serving a custodial sentence for drug trafficking, while Carl currently faces the prospect of spending over 30 years behind bars.
...Judy Moran now grapples with the grim reality that she has lost two husbands and both her sons in gangland murders.
Barbara Williams has many ongoing problems to confront, but the life of Judy Moran has been even more catastrophic. She was born into a Melbourne family that had close connections with the Carlton Football Club, she married career criminal Leslie ‘Johnny’ Cole. That marriage ended in divorce, and Cole became the victim of a Sydney gunman in 1982. Mark Moran, who was executed outside his Melbourne home in 2000, was Cole’s son.
Judy was involved with Lewis Moran when Cole died, and Jason Moran was born from this union. Jason became another gangland victim in 2003. Following the murder of her then estranged husband Lewis in a Brunswick Club in 2004, Judy Moran now grapples with the grim reality that she has lost two husbands and both her sons in gangland murders.
Barbara Williams
The Morans made a fortune from drug trafficking, but does crime really pay?
How did an attractive, well groomed and obviously intelligent young Melbourne solicitor, fall in love with a hardened criminal and convicted murderer? This question, and others that arise from Zarah Garde-Wilson’s unpredictable lifestyle, may never be fully answered.
She conveniently overlooked the fact that Caine had previously served time for battering a man to death...
Zarah Garde-Wilson graduated in law from a Perth University, and after moving to Melbourne, she established one of the busiest law firms in the city. In many of her cases she has acted for underworld identities such as Sean Sonnet, Roberta Williams and Tony Mokbel. She allegedly had a brief affair with Mokbel, and remains friendly with Williams.
After acting for Lewis Caine, she became his mistress and the pair lived together in a city apartment. She conveniently overlooked the fact that Caine had previously served time for battering a man to death, and lovingly described him as being ‘the most incredible man to walk this earth’. Garde-Wilson was devastated when her lover was gunned down in a Brunswick lane in 2004, but sustained herself with the belief that his death was explained by ‘karma’; it was somehow meant to be.
Garde-Wilson believed that Caine and she shared a deep spiritual relationship that even survived his death.
She has been known to greet police officers to her office with a python draped around her neck...
Zarah Garde-Wilson and legal authorities have been at loggerheads for some time. Garde-Wilson refused to give evidence against Keith Faure and Evangelos Goussis when the two faced trial for the murder of Lewis Caine. She claimed she had been threatened by Faure before the trial, and that she was too frightened to testify. Both men were subsequently found guilty, despite Garde-Wilson not providing any evidence. However, the Victorian Legal Services Board still renewed her certificate to practice law and she continued to practice to this day.
The celebrity solicitor, continues to attract headlines. She has been known to greet police officers to her office with a python draped around her neck, and she recently posed for a sexy magazine photo shoot.
It was recently revealed that Garde-Wilson drove a car carrying drug paraphernalia when she visited a prisoner client at Barwon Prison—one hundred and twenty-five syringes were allegedly found in the boot of her car.
Garde-Wilson’s male partners continue to attract trouble. On 13 June 2008, her most then boyfriend, 24-year-old Lansley ‘Lance’ Simon, was accused of ruining nine hand bags valued at $28,000 in a South Walk Versace boutique. Simon allegedly covered the handbags with spray paint, and a week later he was remanded in custody. Garde-Wilson is now pregnant, but it is believed that she has severed her relationship with Simon.
...was accused of ruining nine hand bags valued at $28,000 in a South Walk Versace boutique.
It seems that some women do have a fatal attraction to ‘bad boys’, and Zarah Garde-Wilson’s track record indicates that her poor relationship choices will continue to defy logic.
Zarah Garde-Wilson
There have been very few active women gangs, and currently the most famous exception on an international scale is the Baader-Meinhoff gang, which was formerly called the Red Army.
Ulrike Meinhoff
This revolutionary terrorist group, who robbed banks and participated in kidnappings and murders in Germany between 1968 and 1977, had 10–20 members, many of whom were women. Astrid Proul was one of the founding members and Ulrike Meinhoff had her name included in the group’s change of name. Barbara Adeheid Schulz, Angelika Speitel and Sigrid Sternbeck were also prominent members.
Their targets were German government members, industrial leaders and USA military facilities. Some committ suicide in a group pact on 15 September 1978, others were imprisoned. Astrid Proul was cleared of all charges after it was revealed that the government of the day withheld information from judicial authorities.
Australia’s gangland equivalent to the Baader-Meinhoff gang, in terms of female membership, was the bizarre ‘lesbian vampire’ group who murdered an inebriated man in Brisbane on 21 October 1989.
revolutionary terrorist group, who robbed banks and participated in kidnappings and murders...