‘I stand by everything that I have published’: Former New Age leader and member clash in court trial

A former New Age leader who wanted to start a new life in Tasmania has denied claiming she was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Her defamation trial has now started in Hobart.

A group of participants in a New South Wales course run by Natasha Lakaev’s Life Integration Program, later known as Universal Knowledge.

A former New Age leader who has tried to start a new life in Tasmania has denied ever making claims like she was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.

On Thursday, Natasha Lakaev gave evidence in day one of her defamation trial against former follower, Carli McConkey – denying she’d ever been a “cult” leader or had abused her acolytes.

Dr Lakaev is seeking a damages payout, claiming Ms McConkey defamed her in comments on her website, in her book The Cult Effect, in newspaper articles reproduced within the book, and via social media posts.

The former leader of New South Wales organisation, Universal Knowledge, is also seeking an injunction from Ms McConkey continuing to publish allegations against her.

Dr Lakaev claims Ms McConkey acted in “malice” and that she had a “desire to continually damage” her reputation.

From the Supreme Court of Tasmania witness stand, Dr Lakaev made denials before Justice Stephen Estcourt of a list of allegations by Ms McConkey – who she said she met at her “personal mastery” course in 1998.

Natasha Lakaev arrives at the Supreme Court of Tasmania for a previous hearing.

She denied she’d ever claimed she was “one of 12 on the “Intergalactic Council of the Universe”, that she’d been “a lady in waiting in Atlantis”, or that she was a reincarnation of Jesus Christ.

Dr Lakaev – who is a registered clinical psychologist and gained her doctorate last year – also denied she’d physically, verbally and financially abused Ms McConkey, or encouraged her followers to do drugs during her courses.

Instead, she claimed she’d suffered a number of “dramatic” consequences since Ms McConkey’s book had been published – saying she had been repeatedly, “unceremoniously sacked” from various positions.

She said this occurred despite her employers telling her she was the “best clinical psychologist they’d ever come across” – but had to cease her employment to protect their reputation.

Dr Lakaev, who now lives at Geeveston and is the proprietor of the Bears Went Over the Mountain bed and breakfast, said she came to Tasmania “in the hope we could somehow move away from Ms McConkey’s tentacles”.

But she said her employment in Hobart, at mental health clinic Headspace, also came to an end after a “big scene” following revelations of Ms McConkey’s allegations.

“I was basically black-walled from getting employment in Tasmania,” she said.

Dr Lakaev said no complaints investigated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency against her had ever been upheld.

She described Ms McConkey’s actions as “stalking” and said she’d been “incredibly intrusive” since the pair first met, and didn’t abide by “healthy boundaries”.

But Ms McConkey, who is representing herself in the judge-only trial, said in her opening address: “I stand by everything that I have published”.

She said Dr Lakaev had committed everything from human trafficking to terrorism, sexual violence to strangulation and kidnapping – and had only escaped criminal conviction by “doggedly” hounding government bodies and regulators with “legal correspondence and threats”

“She is as cunning as a fox,” Ms McConkey said.

Dr Lakaev has denied she has ever committed a crime, and denies all of Ms McConkey’s allegations.

Carli McConkey is being sued for defamation by former New Age leader Natasha Lakaev, who now lives in Tasmania.

Ms McConkey said Dr Lakaev repeatedly tried to sue people and organisations, but had never won judgment in her favour, including against A Current Affair, Bond University, five former followers, Fairfax Media, News Corp, a United States school, and Ms McConkey’s own parents.

“Ms Lakaev will stop at nothing to try to convince the world that she is the victim,” Ms McConkey said.

“I will prove that the statements I have made are all true and that I have made them in the public’s interest to protect society from the plaintiff.”

Dr Lakaev will call four other witnesses during the trial, which is expected to run until October 30.

Ms McConkey – who says all her comments were true and according to her honest opinion, which was “fair and based on proper material” – will also give evidence, along with six other witnesses.

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