Cancer con artist Belle Gibson has taken to the witness box at the Federal Court in Melbourne again amid claims she has secretly started up a new business.
Gibson has fronted court to answer questions about her failure to pay a $410,000 fine for conning Australians into believing she beat cancer with alternative remedies and a wholefood diet she then marketed.
It comes amid speculation from tech insiders that Gibson has started up a new digital agency specialising in web design and online marketing.
Gibson has been spotted enjoying gelato on trendy Smith Street in Collingwood, not far from where she lives with her wealthy benefactor and IT consultant Clive Rothwell.
Cancer faker Belle Gibson arrives at the Federal Court in Melbourne on Tuesday morning to explain why she hasn't paid back more than $410,000 owed to Australians she conned
Her trip to court comes amid speculation from tech insiders that Gibson has started-up a new digital agency specialising in web design and online marketing
Gibson was apparently seen hanging around a tech show where experts were providing talks on new ways of doing business.
Gibson allegedly showed a great deal of interest in Voice UX - a technology that enables interaction between people and devices.
Her appearance did not go unnoticed by the IT crowd.
'She was blithering on about it,' the source said. 'She claimed to be running an agency,' a source said.
Gibson has made no mention of operating any businesses to the Federal Court, where on Thursday she broke down in tears.
Gibson again claimed under oath on the bible her only source of income had come from domestic Airtasker jobs, which she had since been dumped from.
Gibson claimed she had been hired to help an elderly woman and organise another woman’s home and small business.
The fake wellness guru was summoned last month to appear in the Federal Court on Tuesday for examination of her financial affairs following her non-compliance
The fraudster said she was cut off from using the job app after word of her Federal Court appearance in May got out.
Gibson repeatedly told the court people had been grateful to her for her ‘generosity’ and ‘help and support’ while she has been unemployed.
Gibson claimed she’d received some reimbursement for helping busy people do simple jobs, such as taking their car to be serviced.
At one point she got annoyed when asked how long she had been with the father of her child, who started paying her $183 a week in child support last July.
Gibson claimed she couldn’t recall, but said she was unable to make any claim to that man’s assets.
She claimed she had no access to funds from other people’s accounts and was not being paid for work via someone else’s account.
Gibson broke down when speaking of her efforts to help a person known as 'Clare'.
'You see what I mean about my empathetic nature,' she sobbed.
At a hearing in May, Gibson was forced to declare how much the clothes on her back were worth and who made them, in a humiliating cross-examination.
There claimed she made some money through the online job finder app Airtasker.
Belle Gibson's Whole Pantry app was heavily promoted by Apple. The app was dumped when the truth of Gibson's lies became public. Gibson had tried to convince Australians she had defeated cancer with her healthy diet
But she had not had any other paid work, apart from Airtasker, since her scamming job expired.
It was revealed Gibson had allegedly been dabbling in online gambling, cryptocurrency and stock futures while failing to pay her debts for duping Australians.
Gibson said she received no assistance from her family, she claimed.
Her sole income has come from government benefits, she said.
'I am not receiving any income from cryptocurrency,' she said.
Gibson said she did not even own a car and would use Mr Rothwell's car on occasion and pay him fuel expenses as required.
'Sometimes maybe $20, sometimes maybe $100 a month,' she said.
She said she spends about $100 on food a week and also pays her half of the household utility bills.
The fake wellness guru was summoned to appear in the Federal Court for examination of her financial affairs following her non-compliance.
She has already been warned she faces jail time for failing to pay the penalty, imposed on her in 2017 by Federal Court Justice Debra Mortimer, for five breaches of consumer laws.
Gibson, who the court heard was paid $75,000 for an interview on Channel 9's 60 Minutes program, took to the witness box at the Federal Court in Melbourne on Tuesday where she was grilled by barrister for Consumer Affairs Victoria Elle Nikou-Madalin about her failure to pay off her fine.
She asked Gibson what 'labels' she was wearing, which prompted her barrister to object.
Ms Nikou-Madalin said Gibson often put items on 'After Pay' and wished to clarify what she had been spending on fashion.
'It could be revealing, it might go nowhere,' she said. 'My client is entitled to test that claim (that she can't pay her bills).'
Gibson said she couldn't remember when she purchased her black coat, but had bought her dress - valued at about $200 - in the last week and her shoes about five years ago.
'The stockings I'm wearing I bought the other day,' she said.
Gibson said she would would only wear 'modest' clothing.
But said she still dined out at restaurants and attended movies, but could not say how much she spent a week.
She said she'd spend about $300 a year on medical expenses and was covered by health insurance for dental expenses.
However, she revealed she suffered from back pain which required some treatment.
She did not currently outlay any cash on 'mental health', she claimed.
But Gibson said she needed to keep her garden tidy.
'There is a requirement to maintain a garden - it was a request on behalf of the agent,' she said.
The pair paid for a gardener - about $150 a pop - twice a
