Sexual assault Aberdeen councillor suspension further extended by watchdog
A councillor who was convicted of sexual assault has had his suspension from Aberdeen City Council further extended by the Standards Commission.
Former Conservative Alan Donnelly was found guilty in December and placed on the sex offenders register. The 65-year-old former depute provost resigned from the Tories but resisted calls to stand down from the council. An interim suspension has been further extended to 6 October to coincide with a hearing into the case. During a trial last year, Donnelly had denied kissing and touching a man who was working at an event in the city. However, he was found guilty and ordered to pay compensation. He was previously part of the ruling Conservative, Labour and independent administration. In June, an initial three-month interim suspension of Donnelly was continued until 3 September. Now, having noted that the period of interim suspension would end before October's scheduled hearing, the suspension has been continued until then by a panel of Standard Commission members. The watchdog said it was in the public interest to renew the interim suspension.