EXCLUSIVE
An award-winning Aboriginal artist has been charged with eight counts of fraud after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from a dead man’s bank accounts, as police investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death.
Mirree Louise Bayliss, 46, was arrested in Orange, in NSW’s Central Tablelands, on October 9 after police allegedly discovered the theft while investigating the disappearance of Robert ‘Bobby’ Randall, 65.
Mr Randall, who lived near Bayliss, was reported missing on October 1 after relatives became concerned that he had not contacted relatives for almost two months.
Police launched an investigation, with detectives calling on anyone with information to come forward as they investigate whether Mr Randall’s bank and other online accounts have been active since he last spoke to loved ones on August 9.
During the checks, police allegedly discovered that Bayliss had used Mr Randall’s cards to access cash from an ATM near his home – once on September 24 and again on October 8.
Detectives went to a home on Bluebell Way, in North Orange, on Wednesday, October 9 – the day after the alleged second incident – to speak to Bayliss, where she allegedly told officers he was at the hospital on August 17 dead.
Mirree Bayliss, 46, has been charged with eight counts of alleged fraud
Robert “Bobby” Randall (pictured), 65, was reported missing on October 1
Bayliss was arrested on Wednesday, October 9, at a home on Bluebell Way
Daily Mail Australia understands Bayliss allegedly took Mr Randall to hospital on August 16 and when he died of suspected natural causes the following day, health authorities did not notify police or his next of kin.
Bayliss then allegedly used his cards to withdraw several thousand dollars from ATMs in the months after his death.
However, in a statement on Friday, police said a crime scene had been established at the Bluebell Way home on Wednesday and the investigation into Mr Randall’s death was ‘ongoing’.
After being arrested, Bayliss was taken to Orange Police Station and charged with three counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and granting conditional bail.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal she has been hit with a further five charges since Friday.
Under her bail conditions, Bayliss must not access or attempt to access Mr Randall’s bank accounts, financial data or personal information from private or government agencies, such as Roads and Maritime Services, Centrelink or Medicare.
She must also inform the authorities of any change in her address.
Bayliss has a large following online, where she showcases her artwork and products
She is pictured holding up one of her coloring books
Bayliss, who has more than 37,000 followers online, is an “entrepreneur, award-winning artist and author” who has been featured in many industry magazines and articles.
Born in Dubbo to a European mother and Indigenous father, Bayliss is a member of the Wiradjuri people and a registered member of the Indigenous Art Code, the national organization responsible for maintaining a fair and ethical trade in works of art.
She won the Best Contemporary Artist of the Year Award in 2022 and the Innovation and Excellence Award in 2023 and sells her artwork online through her company, Dreams of Creation Australia.
Following her win in 2022, the Australian Enterprise Awards described Bayliss as a “celebrated Indigenous artist and outspoken activist”.
“This solo artist’s career was inspired during her youth as she sought new ways to heal the social ills caused by increased strife in her community,” reads her bio in the awards magazine.
‘Mirree saw people around her who were involved in the abuse of illegal or mind-altering substances, or who suffered from suicidal thoughts.
“So she dedicated herself to becoming a positive public role model for her community.”
Bayliss is due to appear at Orange Local Court on October 31.