Former DUP councillor banned after sexual assault conviction

Ian Stevenson was a DUP councillor on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council

A former DUP councillor has been disqualified from office after a sexual assault conviction.

Ian Stevenson was found guilty in 2018 of deliberately squeezing a nursing colleague's breast at a care home, before joking he would "grope anything".

He was a serving councillor on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

Mr Stevenson was disqualified from office until 30 April 2025 following a hearing on Monday.

Following his conviction, Mr Stevenson was sentenced to 220 hours of community service and was placed on the sex offenders register for five years.

'Diminished public confidence'

The former mayor of Ballymoney was also suspended from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

Imposing the disqualification, acting local government commissioner for standards Katrin Shaw said the serious nature of the conviction "substantially outweighed" Mr Stevenson's previous good service.

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Ms Shaw said his actions had "brought the role of councillor and the council into disrepute and is likely to have diminished public confidence in both".

The former councillor denied that he had failed to comply with the local government code of conduct.