A young woman who was courted by Man Haron Monis more than a decade before the deadly Lindt cafe siege said she declined his offer of marriage because he was secretive and odd.
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On Tuesday Amanda Morsy told a coronial inquest she knew Monis as Michael Hayson, a 30-something accountant from Romania who drove several luxury cars.
In 2003 she and Monis went on several dates, although they always accompanied by one or more of her friends or relatives.
Ms Morsy said Monis was generous with money, always paying for all guests' food and drinks, and buying her gifts such as a gold necklace.
He even offered to pay for a new suite for her bedroom in her mother's Sylvania Waters home, but she declined because "it was too much".
She said he drove a fleet of luxury cars including a Mercedes, convertible Peugeot and a Jeep with the personalised numberplates MNH001, MNH002 and MNH003.
"He was very kind, generous and intelligent but he kept to himself," Ms Morsy said.
He didn't talk about his family or friends or religion but she had been introduced to him by a friend as a fellow Muslim.
She described him as "secretive", "very reserved" and "formal" and wanting to "fit in".
Ms Morsy said she accompanied her mother to a spiritual healing session run by Monis out of his home. He told her mother she had been cursed when pregnant with her daughter and would never find a man. He said Ms Morsy faced the same fate.
Eventually he asked her mother if he could marry Ms Morsy. Her mother said her daughter was too young and not ready for marriage. However, Ms Morsy said she and her mother both felt uncomfortable in his presence.
"I thought there was something odd about him. It was just an intuition," Ms Morsy said.
Soon after she and Monis went their separate ways.
The inquest continues.
