Hoy, who works in the care industry and has never been sacked or faced fraud allegations, later responded online describing the claims as “an absolute lie and extremely defamatory and damaging”.
Hoy reported the matter to the police and took screenshots of messages from the account in Osborn’s name.
The court heard another of the messages said: “I have taken a lot of slander in reference to me being a racist, I have family who are black and I am proud of them.”
Osborn stressed he did not write or publish the posts and his account was hacked, and suggested the culprit may have been a neighbour or an online troll.
He recalled that Hoy told him at the postal count “oh, you can hear now there is not a black man in the room”.
He was “offended” by her comment but did not react, and told the court: “I am not a racist. I do not judge anybody by their skin colour.”
Osborn said “there was not any form of aggression or shouting” and he only “touched” Tierney on the shoulder and did not “poke” him.
Osborn does not have relatives who are black, he told the trial.
Mia Gibson, defending Osborn, suggested that he “was not the author or maker” of any of the posts.
She told Hoy: “I’m going to suggest you have brought these proceedings against Mr Osborn to disparage him and his party.”
Ms Hoy denied this, saying: “No, why would I put myself through this for that?”
The trial continues.
