South-west Sydney sign maker Inline National Signage, which was the scene of a deadly siege that killed one customer and injured two more, was declared insolvent last year with an alleged list of unpaid creditors.
ProPrint understands Inline went into liquidation in early 2014 and was then bought out by current owner Chantelle Strnad. A sign industry source says the business was formerly owned by Strnad’s ex-husband who sold the company to his then wife. The pair only finalised their divorce several weeks ago.
ProPrint also understands that Strnad and deceased gunman Williams had been recently dating. Strnad had called the Williams to the premises to assist her in dealing with the customers in a dispute, who he then shot. Williams had links to the Finks bikie gang but the shooting was not related to the gangs.
Shots rang out from the Ingleburn based business on Monday morning, which resulted in the death of customer Michael Bassal who visited the store in a pre-arranged meeting with his two brothers in regards to a paid order they had not received.
[Related: Siege at Inline National Signage]
Reports say the men paid approximately $40,000 to Inline for the manufacturing and installation of signage for their construction company. The Bassal family’s lawyer says, “They had contracted with Inline Signs to supply signage for a property they were developing.”
The other two Bassal brothers sustained gunshot wounds before the gunman Williams took three factory workers hostage in a subsequent six hour siege, then turned the weapon on himself. Police stormed the factory at 5pm and found the shooter dead at the scene.
The previous owner of the insolvent sign manufacturer reportedly has ‘nothing to do with the company’, according to an Ingleburn business owner, and was not involved with the shooting.
The Ingleburn business owner who wishes to remain nameless says Inline ‘never stopped trading’ after going into liquidation in May 2014, and Strnad purportedly bought it out and continued to operate the business without interruption.
Inline, which is listed on the ASIC as ‘Sparta Holdings’, was appointed to liquidator Daniel Ivan Cvitanovic of Worrells Solvency and Forensic Accountants.
Since its appointment as insolvent in May 2014, there have been five meetings between creditors. A creditors list has not been made available but it is believed several businesses which supplied material to Inline are owed debt.
An industry source says a fire-sale of Inline’s assets could occur ‘any day now’ and alleges ‘the business is dead’ due to the death on business property and the owner’s criminal charges.
Strnad was charged with serious indictable offence after she reportedly failed to provide police with assistance following the murder. She is due to appear in court next month and was granted strict conditional bail. There is no official word on whether Inline will continue to trade up until this time.
Inline has several divisions outside of sign manufacturing and installation, including InBond architectural panels and a project management subsidiary.
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