Northern Ireland

Complaint made against DUP sexual assault councillor

DUP councillor Ian Stevenson was found guilty of sexually assaulting a nursing colleague
DUP councillor Ian Stevenson was found guilty of sexually assaulting a nursing colleague DUP councillor Ian Stevenson was found guilty of sexually assaulting a nursing colleague

A complaint has been made to the local government standards watchdog about a DUP councillor who sexually assaulted a nursing colleague.

Ian Stevenson (48), a former mayor of Ballymoney, was last month found guilty of deliberately squeezing a woman's breast at a care home before joking he would "grope anything."

He sits on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

The Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner for Standards said the complaint was "being assessed".

Mr Stevenson, who is due to be sentenced later this month, was suspended by the DUP.

In August, a complaint was made to the watchdog about former SDLP councillor Brian Duffin, following his conviction for sexually assaulting a teenage girl.

Last week Duffin, who had already resigned from the SDLP and was sitting as an independent, stepped down from his role on Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council despite having previously maintained he would continue as a councillor.