A South Tyneside councillor is standing trial accused of harassing another councillor on Facebook.
Independent Jarrow councillor John Robertson, 55, appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on Tuesday charged with "harassment without violence" of fellow Jarrow councillor Geraldine Kilgour.
The case centres around two Facebook posts made by Robertson in January 2021 about Councillor Kilgour, who represents the Fellgate and Hedworth wards. The posts, made via Robertson's public Facebook account, called Councillor Kilgour a "witch" and a "skitso" who "should not be allowed anywhere near elderly or vulnerable people".
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Robertson, of Whitton Road, Hebburn, denies the charge of harassment and told the court that he wrote the posts because he wanted to protect elderly residents.
Opening the two-day trial, prosecutor Brian Payne said: "This case revolves around the issue of two Facebook posts by Mr Robertson and the effect they had on Geraldine Kilgour. It will become apparent in the course of this trial that they have been politically opposed to each other for a period of time."
He continued: "The nature of the posts and content goes beyond what is permissible under the heading of commentating on political opponents."
The court was shown the two Facebook posts made by Robertson. The first post said it was an "urgent safeguarding notice to all residents" described Councillor Kilgour as "vile, sadistic and narcissistic" and accused her of helping to bully a 75-year-old resident.
The post called Councillor Kilgour a "skitso" who "should not be allowed anywhere near elderly or vulnerable" and went on to say, "I will not be silenced when these people needed protecting from this vile witch."
In a second Facebook post, Robertson urged people to share a video on social media that he claimed showed Councillor Kilgour "abusing her mother". The post said: "If [Councillor Kilgour] is capable of abusing her own mother on camera, God knows what abuse she is doing to our elderly."
Giving evidence, Mrs Kilgour said she had reported Robertson's posts to police and called the language he used in the two posts "disgusting" and "damaging".
She said: "It is disgusting, it is incorrect, it is damaging and it is grossly offensive. It is harassing. It is bullying."
Councillor Kilgour said the video Robertson was referring to in his post was regarding a "family matter" in relation to a disagreement she had with her mother while she was caring for her. The court heard the video was said to have been filmed covertly by her estranged step-family.
Councillor Kilgour said she regrets one sentence in the video where she says "I am f****** sick of the way you are treating me."
Jason Smith defending Robertson, asked Councillor Kilgour whether she had used alternative Facebook accounts to post derogatory statements about Robertson which she denied.
Councillor Kilgour's daughter, Hannah King, gave evidence and told the court she had set up a Facebook account under a pseudonym in order to monitor posts about her mother on Robertson’s Facebook page. She said that she had done so for "safeguarding" reasons because of Robertson's "harmful and dangerous" posts, but denied that her mother had ever used the account herself.
Robertson told the court he had been shown the video of Councillor Kilgour by her family and had raised his concerns with South Tyneside Council. He said that the local authority refused to watch it.
Robertson admitted that he invited people to share the video but "never once" shared it on his own Facebook wall. He said that he had written the posts for the reason of "safeguarding" and said that it was not his intention to harass.
He accepted that the language he used was "robust" but that was because of his "frustration the establishment were not doing what they are paid to do”.
The trial continues.
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