Alan SimpsonFour councillors have resigned from a committee that voted to allow a rapist to keep his taxi operator’s licence.
One member of the Highland Council’s licensing committee has been expelled from his party while another has quit the council altogether in the wake of last month’s decision.
David Brown, 50, from Croy near Inverness, was jailed for six years and nine months for raping a 20-year-old female passenger in December 2023.
He had his taxi driver’s licence suspended in January 2024 after details of his crime emerged.
Brown picked up the 18-year-old woman who had been on a night out in Inverness and wanted to return to her Highland village.
Instead, he drove past her destination before pulling into a layby near a farm between Strathpeffer and Dingwall, and assaulted her.
He then left her in Dingwall in sub-zero temperatures.
Brown had denied the charge of rape and claimed he had a consensual sexual encounter but was found guilty after a three-day trial in April.
Public backlash
Highland CouncilA decision by councillors to allow his operator’s licence to remain active in his name has sparked a public backlash.
The licensing committee was split on gender lines, six-four, with the male majority allowing a continuation of the licence on the grounds that a relative of Brown’s needed it to earn a living.
The women councillors who attended the private committee meeting have opted to say nothing until a full council meeting in September reviews the committee’s decision.
The police had objected to the operator’s licence being continued.
Committee member Liberal Democrat councillor John Grafton, who represents the Coul and Mallaig ward, has offered an apology to the rape victim but stands by his decision at the meeting.
He told STV News: “Imagine waking up one morning and finding that your partner is a convicted rapist and you’d been married to him for years, and you’ve got a family.
“I imagine that shock would be beyond what I could imagine, probably. And that is what I was doing on the day and that was my concern on the day.”
The council’s LibDem group leader Alasdair Christie said: “The group met on Sunday and agreed to expel Councillor Grafton from the group with immediate effect.”
He added that his party would work with other groups to review processes of the licensing committee, “while ensuring that the fit and proper test for all (licence) applicants is at the centre for all decisions and that women’s, children’s and public safety is recognised as being of paramount importance when determining licensing matters”.
STV News has approached all ten committee members who attended the meeting. Some declined to speak until the matter is reviewed by full council.
Willie Mackay (independent) did not return our calls but has reportedly quit the council.
Duncan Macpherson has quit the committee. Its chairman Sean Kennedy (independent) has reportedly resigned from the committee.
There has been no response to STV’s calls from either Chris Birt (SNP) or fellow committee member and Conservative group leader Ruraidh Stewart.
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