Belfast Councillor Suspended For Six Months

A Belfast councillor has been handed a six-month suspension after she was found to have breached the local government code of conduct.

According to the Local Government Commissioner for Standards, independent councillor Ruth Patterson brought both her position and the council as a whole into disrepute after making comments about a local amateur football team.

Ombudsman Marie Anderson found that Ms Patterson had breached the code of conduct when she made allegations of links between north Belfast football club Crumlin Star FC and a "man named in parliament as a senior member of the Provisional IRA".

The Commissioner determined this to be "a deliberate act which caused offence to the players and members of the club".

A hearing last week examined evidence, including footage of Ms Patterson's comments at the meeting in July 2017.

The body later found her actions to be "deliberate and pre-meditated".

"Although she stated at interview that she was not the author of the speech, she had time to reflect beforehand and had to take responsibility for delivering it," the ruling explained.

"During the speech she was reminded by the Lord Mayor of the need to choose her words carefully, yet she continued. She also did not take an opportunity to correct her position in the media at a later date."

The commissioner decided that the comments, which led to Crumlin Star Football Club reviewing its security measures, were an "intentional failure to comply with the code".

Alderman Patterson's suspension will start on Monday 11 March and continue until the end of her term of office.

SDLP Councillor Tim Attwood, who lodged the initial complaint with the Commissioner, said he did so after the "outrageous" comments.

Addressing the ruling, he urged the independent representative to apologise to the football club.

"Both Eamon Hawkins, the Chair, and Crumlin Star FC have been vindicated by this comprehensive decision by the Commissioner. The Commissioner satisfied herself that Cllr Patterson had misused Council resources, brought herself and Council into disrepute. The Commissioner found that Cllr Patterson had failed to show respect to the Club and greatly offended Éamon Hawkins. Crumlin Star FC is an excellent football club which is highly respected in North Belfast.

"Cllr Ruth Patterson should publicly apologise to Eamon Hawkins and Crumlin Star FC. It is clear Cllr Patterson had an opportunity to apologise during the investigation but decided to resile from her admissions. As a result, the Local Government Commissioner had to prove the case against her at significant expense to the public."



(JG/CM)