Deadly Sydney factory siege linked to sign dispute
A deadly siege at a factory in Sydney was linked to a dispute over an unfinished sign, say lawyers.
Michael Bassal, 43, died after he and his brothers, aged 41 and 34, were shot when they arrived at the sign-making shop seeking a refund, lawyers say.
Gunman Wayne Williams, 33, shot himself dead after holding hostages for six hours.
His father Peter Williams, 52, faced court on Tuesday charged with firing a gun prior to the killings.
Police had also laid a charge of concealing a serious indictable offence against Peter Williams and a 30-year-old woman.
The Bassal brothers' lawyer said they had been invited to the factory to settle the dispute, and that their relationship was solely business related, denying media reports of possible links to motorcycle gangs.
"They had contracted with Inline Signs, the business which operated at the scene of the shooting, to supply signage for a property they were developing," lawyer Richard Mitry said in a statement.
"They had paid for that signage, but the work had not yet been done."
The surviving brothers were taken to Liverpool Hospital, where one required emergency surgery. Both are now in a stable condition.