A sex offender Aberdeen councillor could face an extended ban from the Town House as a watchdog finalises a report into his misconduct.
Alan Donnelly’s interim three-month suspension as a councillor expires a week today and before that, the Standards Commission is expected to decide whether to renew it while they await the outcome of the probe.
The former Conservative deputy lord provost was put on an eight-month supervision order in January and ordered to pay £800 compensation to the victim of a sexual assault at a 2018 city function.
Donnelly was found guilty at trial, having denied touching the man’s face, hair and body and kissing him on the face.
The Standards Commission barred him while its own investigation was carried out.
Ethical standards commissioner Caroline Anderson’s full investigation was expected to conclude in mid-April but it was only on Friday that she indicated the work was complete.
A draft copy of her report has been sent to Donnelly – who has previously indicated he might appeal his criminal conviction – for comment.
Although the commission has already acknowledged his behaviour was a breach of the councillor’s code of conduct, Donnelly cannot be referred to the commission until the document is submitted – which could be another month away.
It is then understood it would take a further six weeks before a hearing – the only mechanism which could result in the Ferryhill and Torry councillor’s dismissal – could be held.
When approached by The Press And Journal, the disgraced councillor declined to add anything further.
Colleagues voted to strip him of all his committee positions after the conviction, which had already forced him to resign as a member of the Scottish Conservatives.
But he resisted call to quit as a councillor and remained an active member of the council until his suspension in March.
His presence in the chamber only days prior to his ban prompted mass dissent from fellow members.
The ombudsman ruled it was “in the public interest” to suspend Donnelly, having already been forced to begin to turn complainers away as staff were inundated with public protest at his remaining in post.
Ms Anderson’s interim report, which prompted the initial three-month ban, said Donnelly’s conduct had caused “emotional harm” to his victim and that there was a “potential impact on public confidence” in the local authority if he were allowed to continue in his role.
A spokeswoman for the Standards Commission told The P&J: “The ethical standards commissioner advised the Standards Commission on May 22 that her investigation into this case had concluded and that a draft breach report had been sent to the respondent for comment.
“She indicated she expected a breach report to be issued to the Standards Commission within four to six weeks.
“The interim suspension imposed by the Standards Commission is due to expire on June 3, so the Commission will need to make a decision next Monday or Tuesday on whether to renew it while they await the commissioner’s report.
“In doing so, the commission will consider whether any new evidence or representations have been received that would cause it to reconsider its decision that it was both in the public interest and proportionate for an interim suspension to be in place.”
