Sex attack councillor's interim suspension extended

An Aberdeen councillor convicted of sexual assault has had his interim suspension extended by the Standards Commission.

Former deputy lord provost Alan Donnelly, who resigned from the Scottish Conservatives, has resisted calls to quit since being found guilty last December.

He’d denied touching and kissing a man who was working at an event in the city, but was ordered to pay his victim compensation and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

In March, Donnelly was barred from the local authority ahead of a hearing into his misconduct.

The three-month ban was extended in June and was set to expire this week.

It has now been extended until Donnelly’s hearing, which is scheduled to take place on October 6.

An ethics panel appointed by The Standards Commission for Scotland said they “remained concerned” public confidence would be adversely affected if Donnelly were allowed to return to Aberdeen Town House.

Explaining the decision for the interim suspension extension, commission executive director Lorna Johnston said: “The panel remained concerned that public confidence in the ethical standards framework would be adversely affected if councillor Donnelly was allowed to continue to act while complaints of such a serious nature, involving criminal conduct, were outstanding against him.

“The panel further considered that the council’s reputation could be adversely affected if the interim suspension was not renewed.

“The panel was satisfied that it had not been presented with any evidence or representations that would allay its concerns about these matters.

“The panel concluded, therefore, that it was satisfied that it was both proportionate and in public interest for it to renew the interim suspension.”