A COUNCILLOR for the Vale and Barry Town has been suspended from the local authority for three months after an independent adjudication panel decided he breached its code of conduct.

The Adjudication Panel for Wales met at the Welsh Tribunal Office, in Cardiff, on July 25 – following a referral from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales in February - over the behaviour of cllr Robert Curtis.

He was reported for breach of conduct after he pleaded guilty last year, to common assault on a teenager while on a bird watching trip in Pembrokeshire in 2014.

The panel determined its adjudication by written representation, ruling - by “unanimous decision” - that cllr Curtis had failed to comply with the Vale council code of conduct, and had brought the council into dispute with his behaviour.

The ruling stated: “The case tribunal found that the conduct of cllr Curtis in touching a female without her consent was unacceptable conduct. The case tribunal considered that the resulting criminal proceedings and the negative publicity surrounding those proceedings could be regarded as bringing the office of member into disrepute. The case tribunal concluded that cllr Curtis’ conduct had brought his office as member into disrepute.”

The panel also said it had considered “all of the positive testimonials and evidence provided by cllr Curtis of his work as a councillor”, and the “mitigating features of the case including the effect these proceedings have had on his family and the steps he has taken to apologise".

The suspension took effect yesterday (WED).

Barry town councillor Shirley Hodges, who was outspoken in her calls for Cllr Curtis to stand down in the wake of his guilty plea, said she was disappointed with the way the case had been handled.

She said: “I am very disappointed over the time this has taken and the secretive way his case has been handled. Whilst this panel boasts of public tribunals it seems in this case a closed session was ordered."

She added that she believed cllr Curtis "should have stood down over a year ago".

The Vale council had not responded to request for comment at the time of going to press.

Vale council leader, cllr Neil Moore confirmed the suspension.

He said: “We accept the judgement of the panel and no further action will be taken by the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Cllr Curtis will return to his duties as a councillor after the suspension period.”