Sanctions for councillor who harassed clerk

The investigation will cost the parish council more than £23,000

A councillor who bullied a former council clerk and bombarded him with emails has been sanctioned.

Angela Drakakis-Smith, parish councillor for Betley, Balterley and Wrinehill in Staffordshire, was found to have harassed Gywn Griffiths, continually questioning the accuracy of his meeting reports.

The investigation into her behaviour that saw Ms Drakakis-Smith removed from positions of responsibility could cost the authority more than £23,000.

Ms Drakakis-Smith rejected the allegations during a previous standards hearing.

After receiving multiple complaints about Ms Drakakis-Smith, the parish council decided to refer the matter to Newcastle Borough Council to investigate.

It found Ms Drakakis-Smith breached the code of conduct by failing to show respect for others, bullying and harassing Mr Griffiths, and bringing the parish council into disrepute.

Members of the parish council voted to accept the findings of Newcastle Borough Council’s standards hearing panel at a meeting on Friday.

Mr Griffiths said: "I am pleased at the final outcome of what has been a horrible experience.

"I hope that going forward, the councillor works more cooperatively and in a more harmonious manner with the other councillors.”

Conservative councillor Robert Bettley-Smith described the situation as extremely distressing and stressful for everybody concerned.

“We have put the councillor on notice as to her future conduct and behaviour," he added.

Ms Drakakis-Smith sat in the public gallery for the meeting. She was asked by Mr Bettley-Smith if she wish to continue to be a councillor, to which she replied she did.

At an earlier Newcastle Borough Council standards hearing Ms Drakakis-Smith strongly rejected the allegations and said she had been subject to a "hostile environment" since joining the parish council.

Ms Drakakis-Smith was interviewed during the investigation and submitted rebuttals where she denied bullying or harassing Mr Griffiths.

She also claimed that she could have made complaints herself, but chose not to following discussions with the monitoring officer.

Update 22 May 2024: We were unable to contact Ms Drakakis-Smith for her reaction to the parish council vote on the day but this article has been updated to include her comments made at a previous standards hearing.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.