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Bowral socialite Annabel Walker, 32, accused of exploiting lovers and their families out of money
Annabel Walker (pictured), 32, from Bowral in the New South Wales southern highlands, is facing jail time
A glamorous socialite who never paid a hefty $26,000 bill after staying in a luxury hotel is now accused of conning forming lovers and their families out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Annabel Walker, 32, from Bowral in the New South Wales southern highlands, is facing jail time after pleading guilty to a string of fraud charges.
New allegations have emerged that Walker exploited former lovers and their families out of hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as using faking identities to get out of paying back the money.
A high-profile Sydney millionaire businessman, whose son dated Walker four years ago, has now accused her of stealing his business credit cards.
‘I loved her like a daughter,’ the unnamed businessman told PS.
He claims to have emailed who he believed was Walker’s mother, Kate Hyles, the partner of Chris Chapman, president of the prestigious Royal Sydney Golf Club, and an accountant and solicitor.
But he alleges that Walker was pretending to be Ms Hyles and responding to him making up excuses as to why the money wasn’t paid back yet.
‘I am a firm believer in people being held to account but it was really about protecting our son, that’s why we didn’t pursue it through legal channels,’ the man said.
‘He wanted to move on, and we had to respect that.’
Annabel Walker (pictured), 32, has been hit with more fraud charges relating to her allegedly faking a letter from a hospital where she was meant to be receiving mental health treatment as ordered by a court
New allegations have emerged that Walker (pictured) exploited former lovers and their families out of hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as using faking identities to get out of paying back the money
Another alleged victim of Walker’s conning was her former fiancé who claims to have paid what he thought was $70,000 in her university studies.
A Bondi landlord has also emerged as another one of Walker’s alleged targets, who claims she owes her $18,000 in unpaid rent.
She claims to have informed police who allegedly told her there ‘they were not interested, they told me if it was $1.8million I’d have a better chance of getting something back’.
Walker, 32, was arrested again on August 21 where she was charged with two counts of using a false document to influence exercise of public duty and one count of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage.
The false document charges relate to the use of a fake letter claiming she’d attended mental health sessions, which police say she hadn’t.
The allegations were first raised at Walker’s last court appearance in July, with police applying then to have her put behind bars immediately.
‘My instructions are they (police) have confirmed with the hospital that she hasn’t been admitted to the hospital since 2018,’ prosecutor Craig Smith told the Downing Centre Local Court
‘The police have been attempting to locate Ms Walker with a view to an arrest and detention application.’
Despite this, Walker was granted bail then and again by Wollongong Local Court on Saturday August 22.
Walker had been ordered by a court to attend hospital for mental health treatment, with Magistrate Susan McIntyre last month describing her as having a ‘disturbing history of dishonesty’.
Her solicitor Michael Moussa told Daily Mail Australia he would not comment as the matters remain before the courts.
The socialite from Bowral, in the NSW southern highlands, has already been told she will be off to jail by a magistrate after pleading guilty to a string of fraud related crimes in the NSW Local Court
Annabel Walker leaving the Downing Centre with her lawyer Michael Moussa back on July 22
Last month Mr Moussa said his client insisted she had attended the hospital but that they had been unable to gain access to her records to prove it.
‘My instructions are she has been going and she has in my presence tried to contact the hospital,’ he told Downing Centre Local Court.
‘She has been unable to get these records from the hospital, I’m not sure how police have been able to get them so quickly.’
While prosecutors pushed for her to be taken into custody, Mr Moussa successfully won her freedom until her next court date.
Walker fought back tears in July as Magistrate McIntyre told her she would be jailed for her crimes.
Magistrate McIntyre did not miss in a scathing assessment of Walker, telling her the only thing left to decide was if she would receive a full time or suspended sentence.
‘Given her shocking record, two breaches of a CCO (community corrections order) and how many drive while disqualified’s (she’s had) in the last ten years… imprisonment or an alternative is a real prospect,’ Magistrate McIntyre said.
‘Actually, that is what’s going to happen, it is just how that imprisonment is served.’
The court heard that Walker obtained a total of $17, 981 from her former employer in Australian Leisure Group.
She admitted to taking $26,000 in hotel stays (pictured is the lavish Rae’s on Wategos resort at Byron Bay where she stayed), products or services without every paying for them
Annabel Walker leaving the Downing Centre with her lawyer Mr Moussa on July 22 after she was told she would face jail time
There was also $2,030 for a printing job, $3,361.60 for lighting and $2,816 for a sign to be painted.
Walker had also stayed at the lavish Rae’s on Wategos resort in Byron Bay and bought products from a Harvey Norman store, none of which she paid for.
Walker will be sentenced on September 9 after issues with court documents led to a further delay in the matter.
Walker sat quietly in court clutching a tissue tightly in her hand throughout the day.
When she was finally called to give evidence in relation to her bail conditions Walker fought back years as she told how she’d lost her job and moved away from Sydney’s eastern suburbs after being charged.
‘When I was charged I lived in Darlinghurst, but after I moved down to the Southern Highlands to be close to my family,’ Walker said.
‘I recently lost my lease and property after an article in the local paper about me.’
Outside court Mr Moussa told Daily Mail Australia that Walker was now ready to ‘get on with her life’.
Before the new charges were laid, Walker’s solicitor Michael Moussa indicated she was ready to ‘get on with her life’
Walker will have the new charges mentioned alongside the old matters when she is sentenced in the Downing Centre Local Court (pictured) on September 9
‘She’s had a very hard time and she’s learned from her experience and she now just wants to get on with her life,’ he said.
‘The last year has been very difficult and she has sought the appropriate assistance that she needs and now she’s good as gold.’
Walker’s defence team indicated they intend to organise a psychiatric assessment of her.
In addition to the fraud charges, Walker will also be re-sentenced over a number of driving offences.
The court heard she had previously pleaded guilty to low-range drink driving and a count of driving while disqualified.
She was on a good behaviour bond in relation to both matters at the time she again offended, and as such will need to be re-sentenced.
Source: Daily Mail Australia | News Colony
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