A COUNCILLOR convicted of sexual assault and fraud has resigned after he was found to have broken the local government code of conduct.
Patrick Clarke, an independent councillor from Castlewellan, Co Down, said he was standing down from Newry Mourne and Down District Council on medical grounds.
Last month he became the first political representative in the north to face an adjudication hearing by the Local Government Commissioner for Standards since a code of conduct for councillors was introduced in May 2014.
In September last year Clarke admitted to sexually assaulting a woman at a hotel in Newcastle in December 2014.
In June, also last year, he admitted he had swindled almost £2,000 from a community regeneration scheme but avoided being sent to jail.
He was sacked from the Alliance Party but remained on the council as an independent councillor.
The adjudication hearing held in Downpatrick last month found that Clarke had failed to comply with the councillors' code of conduct.
At the hearing Clarke's lawyer said his client accepted he had broken the code.
A further hearing is to be held on October 20 to consider any sanctions against Clarke. His resignation will not have any affect on the hearing and he could face being disqualified as a councillor for up to five years.
The BBC reported that he cited depression and "alcohol issues" in his resignation, adding he has accepted he has to address his problems.
Clarke apologised to his family, friends and voters.
