ANZ granted order of possession following legal battle over Darwin mortgage with Craig Oldroyd

A man who called on King Charles as a witness and goes by the self-appointed title of ‘ambassador’ has lost his property to a major bank after failing to pay his mortgage.

Craig Oldroyd has lost his legal battle with ANZ. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A man who goes by the self-appointed title of ‘ambassador’ has lost his property to a major bank after failing to make his mortgage repayments.

At the Supreme Court, it was ruled ANZ would take possession of a Darwin property contested by local man Craig Oldroyd, who had refused to make a mortgage repayment to the bank for more than two years.

The court heard that in 2009 Mr Oldroyd and his wife had been granted a $472,000 home loan by ANZ, which they used to secure the home.

However, the last repayment made was on February 17, 2023.

By October 2023, the Oldroyds owed almost $18,000 to ANZ and were served a notice demanding payment of arrears.

ANZ applied for a an order for possession after the Oldroyds failed to make the mortgage repayments. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

After the Oldroyds refused to pay ANZ the money they owed, the bank made an application for an order for possession for the Anula property.

Self representing in court on March 18, 2025, Mr Oldroyd, who identifies as Aboriginal, challenged the jurisdiction of the court, saying he answered only to “tribal laws” and “the laws of God”.

Mr Oldroyd then requested he be referred to as ‘Ambassador Oldroyd’, claiming he had diplomatic status.

Mr Oldroyd claimed the property was part of a diplomatic mission and located on a sacred site.

At one point, Mr Oldroyd told the court he would call on a high-profile witness.

“I would like to call King Charles as a witness to my case,” he said.

On March 26, 2025, Mr Oldroyd had requested his proceeding be taken to the High Court, which was refused.

Justice Sonia Brownhill granted an order for possession to ANZ.

Mr Oldroyd also accused ANZ of committing fraud, which was not accepted by Justice Sonia Brownhill.

The court heard Mr Oldroyd had tendered a contract of sale for the property on March 17 and has since agreed to sell the property to a buyer from New South Wales for $710,000.

Justice Brownhill said selling the property was at odds with Mr Oldroyd’s earlier claims.

“I pause here to note Oldroyd’s submissions that the property is a sacred site (or) a heritage site due to the presence of Aboriginal artefacts, and his evidence that the property can ‘never be removed from our family’s possession’ because his father’s ashes were placed there,” she said.

“Those submissions and evidence are entirely inconsistent with the Oldroyds’ execution of the contract of sale – I therefore place no weight on them.”

Justice Brownhill granted an order for possession to ANZ, on the condition no warrant for possession be issued before June 18, 2025.

“If the contract of sale is not completed by that date, ANZ can obtain a warrant for possession, take possession of the property and exercise its power of sale,” she said.

“There is no suggestion that delay in doing so of a further two months will unduly prejudice ANZ.”

Originally published as ANZ granted order of possession following legal battle over Darwin mortgage with Craig Oldroyd