AN Irishwoman accused of stealing almost AU$1.7million (€1.04m) from her billionaire boss in Australia has been granted bail of AU$1million.

Annalouise Spence, 51, allegedly impersonated her employer Judith Neilson to obtain an additional black American Express card and used it to fund her lavish lifestyle of luxury designer goods, cosmetics, jewellery, art and first-class travel.

Among her first alleged spending on the card in March 2023 was nearly AU$30,000 on flights from Australia to Seattle, where she allegedly saw a concert by The Cure and went to a baseball game.

Ms Spence, who was born in Co. Antrim before moving Down Under, also allegedly treated herself to five nights at the plush Carlyle Hotel in New York two months later at a cost of almost AU$39,000.

The thefts are alleged to have occurred during a five-year period when she worked as personal secretary to Ms Neilson, who is worth over AU$1.5billion thanks to a shareholding in a global equities firm co-founded by her ex-husband.

The accusations of dishonestly obtaining property by deception include an incident where Ms Spence organised a 50th birthday party for herself at a five-star Sydney hotel, forking out AU$1,000 on napkins bearing her initials, AU$1,200 on an evening gown and AU$10,000 on Jimmy Choo shoes and a matching bag.

Judith Neilson attended the party without realising she was paying for the whole thing, court documents state.

It is also claimed Ms Spence dishonestly purchased ‘thigh high boots and pants’, ‘hats, swimming costumes, various handbags or totes’, and clothing from Zara and Lululemon.

After her arrest in April, Ms Spence has spent the last two months at the Dillwynia Correctional Centre outside Sydney, a maximum security prison for female offenders.

She appeared in court via videolink from the jail yesterday, and began to cry as Judge Paul McGuire heard that her husband, Adam Spence, had offered the AU$1million surety to secure bail.

Judge McGuire also told the bail hearing that Ms Spence was about to be hit with another 46 counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception, which would bring the total number of fraud charges she is facing to 128. As part of her bail conditions, Ms Spence has been ordered not to make contact with Ms Neilson or any of her staff.

Ms Neilson, 79, employed Ms Spence for eight years until September 2025, when Ms Spence took a redundancy package.

The judge noted the prosecution opposed bail for Ms Spence, but said the Irishwoman did not have a criminal history and that he was satisfied that the stringent bail conditions would mitigate any flight risk.

Ms 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, Ms Spence cannot leave her home except for legal or medical appointments. She also has to report daily to the police.

‘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 said.

Ms Spence is due back before the courts next month.