Sydney local Janelle “Nellie” Tilley (now using her maiden name Foster), known for her advocacy against domestic violence, has been charged with assaulting her younger Greek boyfriend.
She is accused of attacking 34-year-old Paris Saint during their four-year relationship while he resided at her Bellevue Hill home.
58-year-old Tilley, previously married to Simon Tilley—brother of Ben Tilley, a former confidant of James Packer—allegedly threatened to “get someone to break his legs” if Saint reported her to the authorities.
However, in March of this year, after their tumultuous relationship ended, Saint approached police, claiming he had been subjected to continuous domestic violence.
The pair met in 2019 when Tilley was on holiday in Greece. Saint returned to Australia with her and settled into her home in the eastern suburbs.
Police allege that on one occasion, Tilley began physically hitting Saint in the face and scratching him on the neck until blood was visible.
On a separate occasion, Tilley is accused of spitting on Saint during a fight in the car as they drove home from celebrating Valentine’s Day at a restaurant in Woollahra.
Tilley has pleaded not guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, with a hearing set for March 2025.
*Editor’s note (February 2026): Following a contested hearing in Burwood Local Court in December 2025, NSW Police withdrew all charges and the ADVO. The presiding Magistrate endorsed the withdrawal as appropriate.
