Aberdeen councillors face sex offender comments hearing

Alan Donnelly was convicted in 2019

Two Aberdeen councillors face a Standards Commission hearing over comments about another councillor who was convicted of sexual assault.

Former Conservative Alan Donnelly was found guilty in 2019 and placed on the sex offenders register.

The former depute provost resigned from the Tories but resisted calls to stand down from the council.

Liberal Democrat councillors Ian Yuill and Steve Delaney will face a hearing in October.

It is claimed they may have breached the code of conduct at a meeting by not showing respect to colleagues and treating them with courtesy.

Donnelly had denied kissing and touching a man who was working at an event in the city. He was ordered to pay compensation.

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A Standards Commission panel had ruled Donnelly behaviour was "wholly inappropriate" and suspended him for a year.

The new complaint relates to a budget meeting at Aberdeen Town House after the suspension was lifted in March in which Donnelly voted with the Lib Dems.

Alan Donnelly (seated at front) resumed his duties at a heated meeting in March

There were heated scenes at the meeting after Donnelly took part in the vote on local development plan proposals.

Mr Delaney referred to Donnelly as "our resident sex offender", and Mr Yuill described the vote as a publicity stunt.

'Look forward to hearing'

The hearing is scheduled to take place on 5 October.

The Liberal Democrats said in a statement: "Councillors Delaney and Yuill look forward to the hearing."

The three-day trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard one of the victim's supervisors say he was "trembling and shaking" when he reported the incident to her.

The man said Donnelly approached him, made comments about him being good-looking, and asked him questions about where he was from.

Donnelly was previously part of the ruling Conservative, Labour and independent administration.