Spence, who worked as Neilson's private secretary for eight years, was arrested at her home by heavily armed police. According to the NSW Police Force, investigators executed search warrants at a home in Erskineville and a storage unit in Campbelltown following extensive inquiries. During the search, officers located and seized luxury handbags, jewelry, clothing, documents, and other personal items. Police allege Spence used a business credit account to make unauthorized purchases of luxury and personal items, including clothing, artwork, and jewelry, between March 2023 and September 2025. They also allege she impersonated Neilson to obtain a supplementary card attached to her account, and located 115 items from her Erskineville home that they will claim were part of the fraudulently acquired property. The specific items purchased and the total amount allegedly stolen beyond the $800,000 repaid remain unclear, as do the details of the evidence supporting the impersonation allegation.
In court proceedings, Spence was denied bail on Wednesday afternoon in Bail Division Court 7. According to Daily Mail - News, the judge described the case's strength as overwhelming and stated that a custodial sentence was likely if convicted. The judge also mentioned disparities between police facts and an affidavit from Spence's husband, though the exact nature of these disparities is unknown. Spence is next due to appear in Downing Centre Court via audio-visual link on May 7.
It appears admissions were made to a vast number of sequences by the accused... it is my assessment that the strength of this case is overwhelming and if convicted of the offence, a custodial sentence is inevitable.
Contextually, Spence and her husband had already paid back over $800,000 to Neilson before her arrest, according to her lawyer Bryan Wrench. According to Daily Mail - News, Wrench described the arrest as totally unnecessary. Spence has been diagnosed with complex PTSD and bipolar disorder. Neilson, the alleged victim, has an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion. The exact timeline and nature of correspondence between Spence and Neilson regarding repayment are not detailed in available reports.