An innocent couple asleep in their Cheltenham townhouse were the unintended victims of a targeted campaign of violence by the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang against besieged property developer Simon Pitard.
asserted
couple → target → Pitard
A 52-year-old woman sustained serious burns after the Bay Road property was firebombed in a pre-dawn attack on October 28.
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property → sustain → October
The woman’s 57-year-old partner was not injured by the arson attack, which police believe was a case of mistaken identity with the wrong property being torched.
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property → injure → identity
A police spokeswoman confirmed the anti-bikie Echo Taskforce was investigating the Cheltenham attack, along with the firebombing of Pitard’s home in Brighton and a drive-by shooting at an Arcare aged care centre in Maidstone.
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Taskforce → confirm → Maidstone
The police spokesman also confirmed the victims of the Cheltenham attack had no links to Pitard.
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victims → confirm → Pitard
This masthead can also reveal the campaign of threats and violence against Pitard began more than two years ago, when he was viciously bashed in April 2024.
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he → reveal → April
Three underworld and property industry sources, who asked not to be identified because of safety concerns, said Pitard required reconstructive surgery to his face following the assault.
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Pitard → ask → assault
In 2022, Pitard was banned from managing any corporation for 3½ years, following the collapse of Steller Property Group in 2019 with debts of $617 million.
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Pitard → ban → million
The 44-year-old was director of more than 40 companies that were placed into liquidation.
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that → place → liquidation
Pitard co-founded Steller Group with Melbourne businessman Nicholas Smedley who were involved in the redevelopment of the Continental Hotel in Sorrento when the company spectacularly collapsed in 2019.
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company → co → 2019
Despite being pursued by a conga-line of creditors, Pitard maintained his lavish lifestyle and continued to reside in a Brighton mansion registered under the name of his wife, Skye Pitard.
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Pitard → pursue → wife
Property records reveal her father, Russell Knowles, co-founder of Arcare Aged Care, holds a caveat registered against the property on Manor Road, suggesting he has a financial stake in the property.
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he → reveal → property
On October 27, several masked men rammed the front gates of Pitard’s residence on Manor Street and doused accelerant over two luxury cars, which were both destroyed in the blaze.
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which → ram → blaze
The campaign of intimidation targeted at Pitard took an unexpected turn last week, when his father-in-law’s aged-care empire came under attack.
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empire → target → attack
On October 6, elderly residents at the Arcare facility in Maidstone awoke to the sound of gunfire as two masked men in a white SUV fired ten shots at the home.
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men → awake → home
This masthead revealed earlier this week that Victoria Police immediately deployed officers to protect other aged-care centres operated by Arcare, with police cars stationed outside homes across Melbourne.
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cars → reveal → Melbourne
Police cars were parked outside two homes, while private guards patrolled two other centres earlier this week.
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guards → park → centres
On Wednesday night, a police van was spotted outside an Arcare address in the inner east.
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van → spot → east
Less than a day after the Maidstone shooting, the Finks were identified as an “organised crime priority” by Victoria Police, which formed a specialist taskforce to target the gang.
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which → identify → gang
Detective Superintendent Wayne Cheesman put the gang on notice, but made no reference to the attack on the Arcare facility, or Pitard’s home.
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Cheesman → put → facility
“My message to the Finks … and to any outlaw motorcycle gang that chooses to cause harm in our community is very clear: if you choose to continue your involvement in serious and organised crime, Victoria Police is coming for you.
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Police → choose → you
But no arrests have been made almost a week after the drive-by shooting in Maidstone, while the deployment of marked police cars, vans and cameras outside several aged-care centres places further strain on the force’s resources.
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deployment → make → resources
A source, with knowledge of the threats, said Knowles had recently engaged several former members of the Australian Defence Force to provide “close personal protection services” for his daughter and extended family.
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Knowles → say → daughter
A letter to residents’ families from Arcare state operations manager Prab Kaur, sent on Monday, said the organisation had increased wellbeing support for residents, visitors and staff after the Maidstone incident, adding that it was also working closely with police and regulators.
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it → send → police
Simon and Skye Pitard have been approached for comment.
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Simon → approach → comment
The Aporia
