Annalouise Spence, the former private secretary of billionaire philanthropist Judith Neilson, has been refused bail after being charged with 68 counts of fraud. The 50-year-old allegedly used a business credit card to make unauthorised purchases totalling £1.6m, including luxury clothing, artwork and jewellery.
Spence was arrested on Wednesday morning in Erskineville, Sydney, following search warrants at her home and a storage unit in Campbelltown. Police seized luxury handbags, jewellery, clothing and documents. The investigation began in November last year into alleged fraudulent expense claims made by an employee of a Chippendale business.
The court heard the alleged unauthorised purchases occurred between March 2023 and September 2025. The police prosecutor opposed bail, arguing Spence might interfere with witnesses and had made admissions by repaying funds. Spence’s lawyer, Bryan Wrench, said his client had repaid nearly £850,000 and suffers from bipolar disorder and complex PTSD, having spent a month in a mental health facility in 2025.
Wrench also claimed the charge sheet was defective, with one charge appearing as a template that lacked key details. Magistrate Lucas Swan acknowledged the charge sheet was confusing but deemed the case overwhelming, stating a custodial sentence would be 'inevitable' if convicted. Spence’s bail was formally refused.
Neilson, founder of the Judith Neilson Institute and owner of the White Rabbit art gallery, has a net worth of approximately £1.2bn, according to the Australian Financial Review. The alleged fraud was uncovered after a restructuring of Neilson’s office led to Spence’s departure in September 2025.
