A private secretary accused of stealing $1.7 million from philanthropist Judith Neilson allegedly used her billionaire employer's exclusive American Express card for lavish purchases, including nearly $18,000 in alcohol from Dan Murphy's and thousands of dollars in designer lingerie, according to court documents.
Annalouise Spence, 51, is accused of siphoning funds from Neilson, the founder of Sydney's White Rabbit gallery, to pay for luxury goods, cosmetics, jewelry, art, and first-class travel. The alleged spending spree funded by Neilson's wealth also included homewares, gifts for men, and contributions to dinner bills for friends.
IMAGE3 Police allege Spence bought nine sets of bras and pants from racy lingerie brand Agent Provocateur worth $3,392.87.
Among the new details emerging in court filings are charges for nine sets of lingerie from the brand Agent Provocateur, totaling $3,392.97. Spence also allegedly purchased nearly $27,000 worth of items from the designer label Jimmy Choo, including ten pairs of shoes and two handbags.
The court documents detail a substantial alcohol purchase of $18,016.40 from Dan Murphy's, which included gin, chardonnay, rosé, pinot noir, champagne, vermouth, beer, and limoncello. This adds to previous allegations of spending on high-end alcohol, including four bottles costing $450 each from Cloudwine Cellars before Spence's 2023 birthday.
IMAGE2 New details about the glamorous accused thief Annalouise Spence's secret spending spree on her billionaire boss's credit cards have emerged and include her and her husband Adam's birthday parties.
Spence, who began working for Neilson in March 2017, was promoted to private secretary by April 2018. In this role, she managed all of Neilson's personal, household, and travel expenses for eight years. Court documents allege that when Neilson obtained an exclusive invitation-only American Express Centurion Card more than three years ago, Spence blocked the visibility of the account for Neilson's finance team and used the card herself.
IMAGE4 Annalouise Spence was arrested at her husband's Sydney home in April and placed behind bars but granted bail and is currently in a luxury mental health unit on 144 charges of dishonesty.
The list of charges against Spence has grown to 144 offenses, encompassing dishonestly obtaining property by deception, with each charge carrying a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. Police anticipate the number of charges and the alleged stolen value will continue to increase.
Spence is currently on bail and residing in a psychiatric ward. She was granted bail in late June and admitted to The Sydney Clinic, where she is expected to remain until late August.
IMAGE5 Spence was billionaire Judith Neilson's trusted assistant for eight years before she left. Neilson's new assistant then allegedly spotted discrepancies in the philanthropist's finances.
Last September, Neilson's new executive assistant, Katy Lloyd-Jones, reportedly noticed unusual charges on her boss's American Express card and raised the alarm, leading to Spence's arrest on April 22. Neilson, 79, employed Spence until mid-2025, when the private secretary role was made redundant.