Clarke facing political ban

Clarke facing political ban

5 October 2016

INDEPENDENT councillor Patrick Clarke could face a political ban after admitting breaching the local government code of conduct.

At the first local government ethics standards adjudicative hearing of its kind in Northern Ireland, the Newry, Mourne and Down councillor, who has twice defrauded community groups, admitted bringing the council into disrepute.

The 42 year-old, who was elected to the council as an Alliance Party member before becoming independent, will be sanctioned for breaching the 2014 Code of Conduct on October 20 when he could be barred from politics for up to five years.

Mr Clarke’s admission came just before his adjudication hearing was due to commence at the Downshire Civic Centre in Downpatrick on Thursday.

The hearing arose as the result of a complaint made about him by a former Alliance Party colleague, indicating that he may have failed to comply with the newly published Code of Conduct.

The complaint related to Mr Clarke’s criminal convictions since 2015 for fraud, sexual assault and charges relating to a burglary. 

He first broke the law in 2010 when he siphoned almost £2,000 from Drumaroad Community Association, of which he was chairman. Four years later, he defrauded Dundrum Community Association of £750 while an office bearer for the group.

He also pleaded guilty in court in March this year to sexually assaulting a woman at a Christmas party in 2014, and to possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage in an incident near his Mill Hill Court Road in Castlewellan on September 5, 2015.

After he was sentenced to a seven-month suspended prison sentence during his March court appearance, Clarke, who is a representative for the Slieve Croob area, insisted he will not resign.

“I have a mandate to May 2019 and I intend to see out my mandate,” he said.

“The legislation is very clear. Under the 1972 Local Government Act, unless it is a custodial sentence I can remain on council.”