Daniel Sutherland: Assault

Daniel Sutherland (Labour)

Councillor Daniel Sutherland (Lab, Illingworth and Mixenden) appeared at Calderdale Magistrates Court on July 10 to face a charge of assault by beating against the woman.

The 23-year-old councillor, of Valley View, Halifax, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address during the initial hearing at Calderdale Magistrates Court.

He pleaded not guilty to the incident that is alleged to have taken place after a party on June 24.

The case was adjourned for a trial at Bradford Magistrates Court on November 1, 2012.

Councillor Sutherland represents Illingworth and Mixenden ward and chairs the council’s planning committee.

He is also a member of the council’s governance and business committee and the social care for children review group.

Councillor Sutherland has played rugby for Ovenden Rugby League Football Club for six years.

He is a member of the management board at Illingworth Centre Committee, Mixenden Parent’s Committee and the North Halifax Partnership.

His mother, Lisa Lambert, who accompanied him to court, was elected to the council in May.

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Michael Mills: Fraud

Michael Mills (Tory)

Michael Mills, 64, a member of Holywell town council in Flintshire at the time, was caught after a tip-off. He used her pension card 110 times.

Mills said he had been in a "state of shock" after the death of his wife.

But magistrates said they were extremely serious offences, which he knew were wrong.

Mills admitted 14 fraud charges at an earlier hearing.

Defending solicitor Brian Cross said when Mills came to understand that what he had done in an emotional state was wrong, he did not have the courage to report it and buried his head in the sand.

"He is genuinely remorseful," Mr Cross told Flintshire magistrates, sitting in Mold.

Mills, a retired miner from Greenfield, told the court his "head just went" after the death in 2010 of his wife of 42 years, Brenda.

He added: "I was walking around - as if I had had a nervous breakdown for more than a couple of months."

There were emotional scenes when he was handcuffed and led away to the cells.

Prosecutor Tony Newnes said that the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) received anonymous information that he was continuing to claim his dead wife's benefits.

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Pervez Choudhry: Must wear tag

Pervez Choudhry (Tory)

Pervez Choudhry, of Tuns Lane, Slough, had married his second wife in Pakistan but was still legally married to his first "arranged" wife.

Choudhry, 54, admitted bigamy at a previous hearing.

He was given a community order with a nighttime curfew, ordered to pay £5,500 to his second wife and fined £750.

Wheelchair-bound Choudhry married his first wife in 1986 and the pair had three children, the court heard.

He said this was an arranged marriage after his family had decided he would wed his first cousin when he was aged 11.

They separated in 2007 but remained legally married, it was heard.

In October 2008 he met his second wife Dr Zabina Shahian but "untruthfully" told her he had been legally divorced, Judge Ian Grainger said.

Two months later the pair married in Pakistan, but she left him over concerns his first marriage may not have legally ended and hired a private detective to investigate.

Choudhry, who vowed to take his case to the Court of Appeal, claimed the religious ceremony in Pakistan was not recognised under UK law.

He told BBC News after the hearing: "I had no intention of deceiving anybody. I was simply trying to create a family unit."

His second wife Dr Shahian said: "I was very devastated [when I found out he was still married].

"My life has been at a standstill. When I met him I took him at face value."

Choudhry defected to the Tories in 2009 after being elected as the Labour candidate for Central Ward.

He was arrested and charged with one count of bigamy in August 2010.

He was suspended from the Conservative Party pending the investigation and stood as an independent, but lost his seat at the election earlier this month.

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Rosemary Dickson: misconduct

Rosemary Dickson (Tory)

An investigation will consider allegations of misconduct against a councillor in relation to the Cherkley Court planning application.

Earlier this month councillors granted planning permission for a private members' golf course and luxury hotel at the 19th century estate near Leatherhead.

But following a meeting of the standards committee of Mole Valley District Council, Councillor Rosemary Dickson (Con, Leatherhead South) will be investigated over claims she breached the council's code of conduct.

Council officers recommended refusal of the application, but Mrs Dickson proposed a motion to reject that recommendation at a meeting on April 4, then voted in favour of the final planning application on May 2.

A report from a meeting of the standards committee states: "The complainants allege that Councillor Dickson has breached the rules relating to the declaration of interests and that she was biased/predetermined."

The report, from a meeting on April 30, lists seven issues including: the fact Mrs Dickson's husband's second cousin Joel Cadbury is a director of developer Longshot; her relationship with Longshot's PR advisor Nick Kilby; and allegations of lobbying in favour of the plans.

It also notes that she tabled the motion to reject the advice of council officers; stated in an e-mail to Cherkley Campaign founder Kristina Kenworthy that she did not want to lose her right to vote; and did not fully represent her constituents' views.

A minor point was noted that she lives in Givons Grove, where the residents' company that owns the estate's roads has entered into contracts with Longshot.

The report adds: "When the seven separate complaints were taken as a whole, there was reasonable enough doubt to indicate misconduct and a breach of the council's code of conduct." Mrs Dickson, who retained her council seat at the elections on May 3 with an increased majority, refutes the claims.

She said: "I think it is absolutely appalling that people are able to throw out unfounded allegations without any proof or evidence and I have to go through this."

She said she has never spoken to Mr Cadbury, never overtly lobbied in favour of the application, her e-mail to Mrs Kenworthy was taken out of context and has represented the views of the "silent majority" of constituents.

She added: "I have said all along I didn't really mind about the votes so much, but I did mind very much about my reputation which is being dragged through the mud here."

The committee also considered several complaints about Councillor David Sharland (also Con, Leatherhead South) but decided not to investigate as, though he "demonstrated a predisposition towards the application", his views were not "predetermined".

People are being urged to demand an inquiry into the Cherkley Court application.

The National Planning Casework Unit is considering the issue.

The Cherkley Campaign, Mickleham Parish Council, Friends of Box Hill, Leatherhead Residents’ Association and the Campaign to Protect Rural England are asking residents to demand an inquiry.

The unit’s address is 5 St Philip’s Place, Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2PW, or e-mail npcu@communities.gsi.gov.uk

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Kosru Uddin: Threats to kill

Kosru Uddin (Labour)

Kosru Uddin, 45, was alleged to have made threats to kill to Rania Khan, a supporter of Independent mayor Lutfur Rahman.

It was reported that screams were heard coming from the town hall as a “violent fracas” erupted on Wednesday night.

One source told a newspaper: “There was violence. It was just chaos.”

It is the latest crisis to hit Tower Hamlets, which is facing a police investigation into claims of electoral fraud at a council bye-election while there have been claims that Mr Rahman is linked to groups supporting extremism.

Trouble erupted at 11.35pm as people left the chamber at the end of the meeting.

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