A Melbourne brothel owner had $1.1 million in net assets when she was
murdered in February last year, a court has been told.Shirley Liang, 44,
disappeared from her inner suburban Southbank apartment on February 24, 2006
and her body has never been found.
Ms Liang's partner Neil Cameron Chalmers, 48, of Southbank, is standing
trial in the Victorian Supreme Court for her murder.
Financial analyst Geoffrey Bayton told the court Ms Liang had net assets
valued at $1.1 million when she disappeared last year.
Those assets included a brothel in City Road, South Melbourne, a house in
Footscray and three inner-city apartments.
He told the court Chalmers had $385,500 in assets but also had a credit
card debt in excess of $47,000.
The court was told Chalmers' company, Corporate Landscaping, was also
insolvent at the time Ms Liang disappeared.
Mr Bayton said Chalmers had taken out a loan against his landscaping
business in March 2005.
"Mr Chalmers is the sole director of the company and owes it, of that date,
$62,500," Mr Bayton said.
The trial before Justice Paul Coghlan continues.
October 8, 2007 - 2:55PM - The Age
A man accused of murdering a brothel owner was caught on a security camera
allegedly removing a body from a Melbourne apartment building the day she
disappeared, a court was told.
Brothel madam Xiou Ling Liang, also known as Shirley X Liang, was last
seen at her inner suburban Southbank apartment at 8pm (AEST) on February 24,
2006.
Her partner, Neil Cameron Chalmers, 48, stood trial on Monday in the
Victorian Supreme Court charged with Ms Liang's murder, even though police have
not found her body.
The court was told that Ms Liang, a Chinese immigrant, managed Studio 146,
a brothel in City Road, South Melbourne, and also ran an escort agency.
Prosecutor Peter Rose told the jury that Chalmers met Ms Liang, 44, in
late 2003, and began a relationship with her before they shared an apartment at
Whiteman Street, Southbank.
The jury was played video surveillance from the apartment building showing
Chalmers propping open the door to the level two carpark at 4.48am on February
25, 2006.
He leaves before returning and entering the carpark "with a body covered
by a sheet", Mr Rose told the court.
Chalmers, dressed in a grey suit, blue shirt and tie, paid close attention
to the video as it was played.
A police examination of the GPS in Chalmers' car later showed that he had
travelled along the Tullamarine Freeway before arriving at Tallarook, north of
Melbourne, about 6.16am the same day.
The court heard that a brothel worker and flatmate of the couple, Jing
Liu, also known as Gi Gi, told police Chalmers had cleaned the apartment on the
weekend of February 25 and 26 after telling her that Ms Liang had gone away.
Mr Rose said Chalmers had engaged in "bizarre behaviour posing as a
businessman Michael Wong and emailing the deceased" inquiring about her services
in the months before she disappeared.
When Ms Liang disappeared in February 2006, Chalmers allegedly told one of
her staff, Michael Esenyel, that she had gone on a $10,000 two-week escort job
with a Chinese businessman.
Brothel staff became suspicious because Ms Liang always told them if she
had to go away for jobs, Mr Rose told the court.
Sergeant Christopher Paulett told the court a note allegedly from Chalmers
was left on Ms Liang's pillow saying he was concerned about her going on the
two-week escort job.
"Darling please call me, very urgent, very worried about you. Neil xx,"
Sgt Paulett read the note to the court.
The court was also told Chalmers was bankrupt when he met Ms Liang, while
she was a successful businesswoman who owned a brothel and had $100,000 in
shares.
Defence lawyer Christopher Dane QC, told the jury that they must consider
all the facts, including that Ms Liang's body had not been found.
The trial before Justice Paul Coghlan continues.