FORMER SDLP councillor Brian Duffin has been disqualified for five years after previously being convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
The Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner for Standards (NILGCS) announced the disqualification today.
In June 2018, Duffin, who had sat on Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, was convicted at Antrim Magistrates Court of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in June 2016.
In August 2018 he was sentenced to four months imprisonment, was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of seven years, and made subject to a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).
He lost his appeal against the conviction in November 2018.
In May 2019, his sentence was reduced, on appeal, to four months imprisonment, suspended for three years. The SOPO was also removed.
An investigation was held into Duffin's actions after a complaint was made to the Local Government Ethical Standards Directorate.
Acting Commissioner Ian Gordon found that Duffin had breached Paragraph 4.2 of the Local Government Code of Conduct (the Code), which states that councillors must not bring their position as a councillor, or their council, into disrepute.
Duffin denied that he had failed to comply with the Code and claimed his conviction was wrong.
Mr Gordon said that in considering the sanction he had consulted the sanctions guidance document and submissions from both parties.
Given the seriousness of the former councillor’s conduct, a five-year disqualification was imposed.
