By Adam Cooper and Georgie Moore
Cancer fraudster Belle Gibson has refused to pay a fine for duping Australians, but her bank accounts reveal "curious" trading of crypto-currencies and a sports betting account, a court has been told.
Gibson made a long overdue appearance in a Melbourne court and on Tuesday afternoon stepped into the witness box for questioning.
For months she has refused to face a judge, but was summoned to the Federal Court to have her financial records examined.
After a string of non-appearances, Belle Gibson arrived at the Federal Court on Tuesday.Credit: Darrian Traynor
She has previously been warned she could face jail over her refusal to pay a $410,000 fine for claiming she cured her brain cancer through her diet.
The fake wellness guru was fined in 2017 for breaching consumer laws by misleading and deceiving people, after she accumulated $420,000 through her cookbook The Whole Pantry and an app, in which she falsely claimed her brain cancer was cured through alternative therapies and nutrition.
It was later revealed she never had cancer.
Forensic accountants have started examining the 27-year-old's financial documents and have discovered "curious aspects" in her transactions.
They include crypto-currency and futures trading and a Sportsbet account.
"[The documents] reveal a great many transactions overwhelmingly in the nature of discretionary spending," Consumer Affairs Victoria barrister Elle Nikou Madalin told the court.
Gibson arrived at the court on Tuesday with only 10 minutes to spare and sat by herself as her lawyer Andrew Tragardh handed over a folder of documents divided into 18 categories he said mostly related to two years of bank statements.
A press pack surrounds Belle Gibson as she makes her way into court.Credit: Darrian Traynor
Ms Nikou Madalin said the records would take at least overnight to examine and a forensic accounting team was on standby.
But Mr Tragardh said his client could not afford to keep coming back to court and wanted the matter dealt with on Tuesday.
Belle Gibson's book The Whole Pantry.
"My client doesn't have unlimited resources to pay for lawyers to assist her," he said.
The organisation, Mr Tragardh said, had "conducted itself in a rather outrageous fashion which has caused Ms Gibson unnecessary stress and unnecessary costs".
But Ms Nikou Madalin said Gibson could have made her records available earlier, and had only co-operated recently "when it became apparent there may be some consequences for her".
"I understand Ms Gibson may not want to face the media again but that interest does come second to my client’s right to examine the records," Ms Nikou Madalin said.
"We didn’t know until we rocked up today what she was going to produce."
Gibson also lied to consumers, saying she would donate money from her app and book sales to various charities, including a boy with inoperable brain cancer.
Although Gibson received $440,500 from sales of her app and book, she only donated about $10,000 to charity.
Justice Debra Mortimer fined Gibson for her deception and in handing down her penalty said the conwoman had a "relentless obsession with herself".
She said Gibson not only tried to garner sympathy for her own claimed cancer, but promoted herself as generous and selfless so people would buy her products.
Consumer Affairs Victoria brought the action against Gibson and her company, Inkerman Road Nominees.
with AAP