The founders of an Australian drought charity have won a defamation case over comments made on social media.
Aussie Helpers founders Brian and Nerida Egan, and their daughter Samantha Price, who was the foundation's chief executive until 2019, launched legal action in 2018 over comments made by Victorian woman Kara Taylor on Facebook.
Mr Egan died in January 2020, aged 76.
In a judgement handed down by Queensland District Court Judge David Kent last week, but published today, he found a series of posts made on Ms Taylor's Facebook page between August 13, 2018, and September 9, 2018, were capable of being defamatory.
He found the posts could convey imputations the Egans and Ms Price were "greedy, unprincipled and criminals."
"The comments are capable of causing serious harm to the plaintiffs' reputations in the eyes of reasonable members of the community," Judge Kent said.
The charity was set up in 2011 to help support families affected by droughts, bushfire and floods.
The founders of the Charleville-based charity were given a summary judgement in their favour, meaning the matter would not have to go to trial.
Judge Kent found Ms Taylor's case had fatal defects and agreed with the Egans' arguments that her defence was "obscure, ambiguous and generally impossible to reply to".
Ms Taylor, who was self-represented, had also failed to show at several court hearings despite being served with summons and called at court.
The matter will return to the District Court on a date to be fixed to assess the damages to be awarded to the Egans and Ms Price.
Aussie Helpers was contacted for comment.
