Missing boy William Tyrrell’s foster parents are accused of instructing someone to make fake bids at a house auction

Police allege the couple arranged for a third party to make fake bids at the auction of their home, which later sold for over $4 million.

Missing boy William Tyrrell wearing the Spider-Man suit in which he disappeared in September, 2014. Picture: Supplied

Missing boy William Tyrrell’s foster parents have denied enlisting someone to make fake bids at their house auction to drive the price up.

The couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons, both pleaded not guilty in Hornsby Local Court on Thursday to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

Police allege the pair enlisted a third party to falsely bid at the auction of their East Killara house in December 2020.

Property records show the home sold for $4.1 million.

Listening device material is expected to be played to the court when the hearing takes place next year, and up to four witnesses are likely to be called to give evidence.

The new charges are not ­conn­ected to the long-running investigation into William’s disappearance from his grandmother’s home on the NSW mid-north coast in 2014.

No one has been charged over the boy’s disappearance.

The foster parents are also facing a separate and unrelated charge of assault against a young girl.

Police allege the woman kicked the girl “causing her pain and bruising”. It is further alleged the foster father, 55, “grabbed the girl’s neck”.

They have both pleaded not guilty to the assault charges which have been adjourned until a hearing in 2023.