Cold case victim ‘had online fling’

SLAIN Gold Coast father Philip Carlyle was having an internet affair with a woman in the US and planned to meet her before he was murdered, police will allege.

It can also be revealed the 48-year-old IT businessman, who was killed in an execution-style slaying at Robina more than 20 years ago, had “a lot of enemies” after a series of poor business decisions.

Mr Carlyle – a God-fearing father-of-three – was shot in the head and neck four times at his office in April 1997. His body was found by a security guard in the building’s airconditioning plant.

His former business partner Neil Pentland, 68, was last month charged with Mr Carlyle’s murder.

Pentland’s wife, Diane Pentland, 69, has been charged with providing a false or misleading statement.

Mechanic John Andrew Hitchen, 66, was also charged with being an accessory to

murder and possessing an unsecured weapon. He is accused of disposing the gun used in the killing.

Police are expected to allege Mr Carlyle met a woman through a US company that was helping to get a new business venture off the ground.

Mr Carlyle and Neil Pentland’s Atnet firm wanted to launch money spinner website Insureit.

Mr Carlyle and the woman never physically met but alleg- edly sent several emails to each other from December 1996. They were scheduled to meet in America several days after the 48-year-old was murdered.

Police will allege the overseas trip was booked and billed to Atnet but Mr Carlyle never intended to do business in the US.

Mr Carlyle allegedly sent an email to her in March 1997 claiming he was “bored” and “wanted more out of life” and hoped to move on from his “current personal environment”.

Less than a week later, he told the woman: “If we go on liking each other, then using my business as a cover, I might meet you ... in another city”.

Carlyle had an extensive background in business before teaming with Pentland to start Atnet.

Sources close to the murder investigation said Mr Carlyle had previously been involved with companies that had wound up or become insolvent. “He had a lot of enemies. A lot. People who had lost money because of him,” the source said.