Updated June 18, 2026 — 3:23pm,first published 12:20pmAccused fraudster Annalouise Spence has been granted bail following her husband’s offer of a $1 million surety.Spence, 51, is accused of misappropriating over $1.7 million from her former boss, billionaire philanthropist Judith Neilson. New charges against Spence include that she withdrew $159,000 in cash from Neilson’s bank accounts over 12 months ending in May 2025.Annalouise “Lou” Spence (left) and her former employer, billionaire Judith Neilsen.Since her arrest in April, Spence has spent the past two months at the Dillwynia Correctional Centre near Windsor, a maximum security facility for female offenders.Appearing via audio-visual link from the jail, Spence began to cry as the court heard that her husband of 12 years, Adam Spence, had offered the $1 million surety to secure bail. According to court documents, her husband has offered equity in his Erskineville home as surety.Supreme Court Justice Paul McGuire told the bail hearing that Spence was about to be hit with another 46 counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception, bringing the total fraud charges she is facing to 128.Spence is alleged to have impersonated her boss to obtain an additional black American Express card, which she used to fund her lavish lifestyle, including purchasing luxury designer goods, cosmetics, concert tickets, jewellery, artwork, homewares, holidays and first-class travel.Spence’s first alleged purchases on the black Amex card in March 2023 were tickets to see the Cure in Seattle, first-class flights to Seattle, via Los Angeles, and baseball tickets. The total of these items was $29,118, according to court documents.Two months later, she was allegedly treating herself to a five-night stay at New York’s famous Carlyle Hotel, which cost $38,757.As part of her bail conditions, Spence has been ordered not to approach or attempt to make contact with Neilson or any of her staff.Neilson, 79, employed Spence for eight years until September 2025, when Neilson’s foundation restructured the office and Spence took a redundancy package.Police seized luxury items from the Erskineville home of Annalouise Spence.Steven SiewertSpence’s barrister, Gabrielle Bashir, SC, had submitted that her client was suffering from mental health issues which could not be adequately treated in custody.In opposing bail, the prosecution’s written submissions alleged that Spence was diagnosed with “Bipolar Affective Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in or [about] October 2025”, which was after “the alleged offending conduct”.The judge acknowledged the strength of the Crown case, which involved an extensive paper trail and admissions by Spence. However, in granting bail, McGuire said Spence did not have a criminal history and he was satisfied the stringent bail conditions would mitigate any flight risk.Spence’s bail conditions include that she be taken straight from jail to a mental health facility in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. If released from the clinic, Spence cannot leave her Erskineville house except for legal or medical appointments. She also has to report daily to Newtown police.The former secretary was ordered not to drink alcohol or take any illegal drugs.“The applicant is not to engage in any employment involving financial management, access to accounts, or credit cards, or positions of financial or personal trust,” the judge also said.The Irish-born Spence has also surrendered her passports.Her matter will return to court on July 16.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. From our partners