William Tyrrell’s foster parents slapped with fraud charges over dummy auction bid

William Tyrrell’s foster parents have been slapped with fresh criminal charges after they allegedly orchestrated a third party to place a dummy bid at an auction.

William Tyrrell.

William Tyrrell’s foster parents have been slapped with fresh criminal charges after they allegedly orchestrated a third party to place a dummy bid at an auction.

NSW Police confirmed that a 55-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman will front court in ­October charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

The new charges are not ­conn­ected to the long-running investigation into William’s disappear­ance on the NSW mid-north coast in 2014. He remains missing and no new charges have been laid in ­relation to his disappearance.

The lawyer for William’s foster father, Lauren MacDougall, said her client would contest the charges that he ­allegedly organised for a third party to falsely bid on a property during an auction in ­December 2020. “I can confirm the charges laid last week will be defended,” Ms MacDougall said.

The latest charges brought against the couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

“Strike Force Rosann detectives issued Future Court Attendance Notices to a man and a woman for the offence of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception – attempt,” a NSW Police spokesman said.

“It will be alleged in court the pair organised a third party to falsely bid for a property at an ­auction in December 2020.”

The couple were also charged in November last year for allegedly assaulting a girl.

Police will allege the woman kicked the girl, “causing her pain and bruising”, and ­suggested if the child were to ­defecate on the floor she would rub her face in it, ­according to a psychologist’s ­report obtained by The Australian after media outlets successfully repealed a suppression order on the details of the allegations.

It will also be alleged that the woman hit the girl with a wooden spoon and that the foster ­father “grabbed” the girl’s neck. They have both pleaded not guilty.

The pair have also been charged with giving false or misleading evidence to the NSW Crime Commission, in response to which they have also entered a not-guilty plea.

Police renewed the search for evidence to find William’s ­remains last November, launching a high-profile search in which investigators drained creeks, picked through kilometres of dense bushland and dug for new clues.

The couple have denied any ­involvement in his disappearance.

They are due to front Hornsby Local Court on October 20.