Accused balcony killer Gable Tostee has tried to shame a TV reporter online after receiving a Facebook message from her account telling him to "enjoy getting raped in jail", but her friend has taken responsibility for the post.
Gable Tostee - whose Tinder date fell to her death from his high-rise balcony on the Gold Coast in 2014 - shared an image of an abusive message he received from the account of TV reporter Sarah Coates, who still listed her employer as Australia's Seven Network, on Tuesday evening.
Tostee, 29, said he was disgusted people he had "never met" continue to "hurl abuse and death threats" at him while he awaits his murder trial in October as he he slammed Channel Seven for allowing such unprofessional conduct.
"Hope you enjoy getting raped in jail, you putrid piece of s***," the message read.
A spokesperson from Seven network said the reporter has not worked for them in "several years" when contacted about the message.
"Sarah is not a Seven employee. She ceased work with the network several years ago.
"She has been directed to remove any Seven reference from her social media information.
"Views are her own and do not reflect those of the network," a spokesperson said.
Coates removed her Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter account after the image was published and could not be reached for comment.
But a friend of the former reporter who was upset about Tostee's trial has come to her defence claiming that he wrote the abusive message.
Tye Prior said he accidentally posted the private message from Ms Coates' account as she was unknowingly signed in on his phone.
"Wasn't her that wrote it....it was me. She was logged in on my phone and I thought I was writing through my account. And I couldn't care less what you screen shot about me.. stand by my words."
Mr Prior said he got riled up after chatting with friends about Tostee's murder trial over a few drinks which is when he decided to send the message.
"I was just having a couple of drinks and decided to send a message to old mate. When I woke up a realised the message said it was coming from Sarah so I posted on his Facebook saying it was me."
Tostee is charged with the murder of New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright who allegedly fell to her death from his 14th floor luxury Surfers Paradise apartment, south of Brisbane, in August 2014 just hours after the pair met through the dating app Tinder.
Police do not allege that Tostee pushed Ms Wright to her death but that his actions were responsible for her death.