DUP suspend councillor who harassed colleague

IAN PAISLEY’S Democratic Unionists have suspended a party member found guilty of harassing a gay colleague, it emerged yesterday.

Arthur Templeton, a councillor in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, was convicted of harassing another member of the local authority.

Mr Templeton told John Blair, who sits with him on the area’s district policing board, he should be wearing a pink rosette because he was “queer”.

Members of the central Policing Board in Belfast yesterday met to discuss whether to discipline the DUP man, but decided to wait until after his period of appeal.

However, a spokesman for his party yesterday confirmed: “Councillor Arthur Templeton has been suspended from the Democratic Unionist Party with immediate effect.

“He will be afforded the opportunity of a hearing with party officers after the Easter period.

“Behaviour of the type Councillor Templeton has been convicted of will not be tolerated within the ranks of the DUP.”

Mr Templeton, aged 45, of Liscool Park in Glengormley, Co Antrim, was found guilty and fined at Belfast Magistrates' Court last week.

The court heard he had harassed Mr Blair, a council candidate for the Newtownabbey Ratepayers’ Association, on several occasions during election campaigns in 2001 and 2002.

On one occasion the DUP man bent over in front of his victim, patted his backside and said: “Here you are John,” the hearing was told.

Prosecuting lawyers described his actions as homophobic while the magistrate branded him childish.

His conviction provoked a wave of demands for his resignation from Newtownabbey Council and the borough’s District Policing Partnership.