Decision

Decision Notice

 
Case
Reference 143-24, Councillor David Darling
 
FINDING OF BREACHES OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR
MEMBERS
 
Hearing of the Member Standards Hearing Committee, 6 November
2025
 
Members:
Councillor Matthew Snedker
(Chair)
Councillor James
McGill
Councillor Ian Calvesbert, High
Coniscliffe Parish Council
 
Investigating Officer:
Ellie Dewar, Independent
Investigator
 
Summary
 
The Member Standards Hearing
Committee considered the case following a complaint from Cllr Colin
Pease made on 15 May 2024.
 
The complaint arose from a
meeting of Middleton St George Parish Council held on 13 May 2024
and an exchange of words between Cllr Colin Pease and Middleton St
George Parish Cllr David Darling that led to a physical
altercation.
 
Darlington Borough
Council’s Monitoring Officer carried out an assessment of
the
complaint and on 4 June 2024
appointed the Investigating Officer to carry out an
investigation.
 
The complaint was heard by the
Member Standards Hearing Committee on 6 November 2025 who made a
finding of breaches of the Code of Conduct.
 
The
Complaint
 
The complaint that was
considered was that Cllr Darling read off a pre-prepared list of
complaints against Cllr Pease at the Parish Council meeting. This
had not been approved by the Parish Council and they were unaware of his intended
action. Cllr Pease said it was a significant list and that he would
address each point in turn. Cllr Pease states that he had barely
finished commenting on the first point before Cllr Darling took off
his glasses and stormed towards him. Cllr Pease claims to have
stood up as Cllr Darling approached and states that Cllr Darling
pushed him and then grabbed him around the head, breaking his
glasses. Cllr Pease states that there was a scuffle as he defended
himself before Parish Councillors intervened to break it up and
that, even then, Cllr Darling was struggling with them to get at
him.
 
Relevant Sections of the Code of Conduct
 
1.Respect
 
As a councillor:
 
1.1 
I treat other councillors and members of the public
with respect.

 
1.2 I treat local authority
employees, employees and representatives of partner
organisations and those
volunteering for the local authority with respect and
respect the role they
play.
 
2.
Bullying, harassment and discrimination
 
As a councillor:
 
2.1 I do not bully any
person.
 
2.2 I do not harass any
person.
 
2.3 I promote equalities and do
not discriminate unlawfully against any person.
 
5.
Disrepute
 
As a councillor:
 
5.1 I do not bring my role or
local authority into disrepute.
 
Findings of Fact
 
At the start of the Parish
Council meeting, the Chair of the Parish Council invited
Cllr
Pease to speak during the Ward
Councillors report, which is a standard item on the
agenda of the Parish Council
meetings. The Member Standards Hearing Committee were able to
listen to an audio recording of the meeting.
 
Cllr Darling read a prepared
list of questions to Cllr Pease. The conversation became
heated between Cllr Darling and
Cllr Pease, with Cllr Darling repeatedly asking questions of Cllr
Pease in a raised voice and provoking manner without giving him
time to answer.
 
Cllr Pease stood up and pointed
his finger and called Cllr Darling a “prat” before
going towards the door to exit the room.
 
Cllr Darling quickly stood up,
removed his glasses and shut the door meaning that Cllr Pease could
not leave.
 
Both parties were then engaged
in a physical altercation. Cllr Pease had scratches and blood on
his face and arm area, and his glasses were broken during the
incident. Cllr Darling had a slightly red face and a bruised
finger. Members of the meeting can be heard on the audio recording
asking Cllr Darling to “stop” repeatedly. Members of
the meeting assisted in separating both parties, and they left
separately.
 
Consideration of the Code of Conduct
 
There were three separate
elements to the complaint against Cllr Darling that could have
given rise to a breach: his initial questioning of Cllr Pease, his
reaction to Cllr Pease’s finger pointing and calling him a
“prat” i.e. removing his glasses, closing the door and
moving towards him, and finally, his involvement in the physical
altercation with Cllr Pease.
 
With regard
to the questioning
element, and with the benefit of the audio recording of the
meeting, we considered this to be a pre-meditated, antagonistic
act. The questions asked were direct and personal and Cllr Pease
was not given sufficient opportunity to respond. We considered this
behaviour to be disrespectful and, in addition, that it would have
an adverse impact on public confidence in the Parish
Council.
 
In relation to Cllr Darling
removing his glasses and closing the meeting room door, we
considered this to be a fast and purposeful movement that was the
catalyst for the physical altercation which immediately followed.
More than half of the witnesses
interviewed stated that they
apprehended violence at this point and we couldn’t find any
other logical explanation as to why these actions were taken. In
our view, these actions constituted both disrespectful and bullying
behaviour as well as Cllr Darling bringing himself and the Parish
Council into disrepute.
 
Whilst the accounts from the
witnesses of the scuffle that took place vary, and both Cllr Pease
and Cllr Darling reference the other party as the initial
aggressor, we found that the physical altercation between Cllr
Darling and Cllr Pease was instigated by Cllr Darling. Cllr
Pease’s role in the altercation was found by us to be one of
self-defence. We found clear breaches relating to respect, bullying
and disrepute could be attributed to Cllr Darling in relation to
this physical altercation.
 
Decision
 
We have found that Cllr David
Darling breached paragraphs 1, 2 and 5 of the Code of Conduct for
Members with regard to respect, bullying
and disrepute. By way of sanction, we recommend that Middleton St
George Parish Council report these findings at their next meeting,
that they formally censure Cllr Darling, that they look to arrange
training for Cllr Darling with regard to the Code of Conduct for
Members and, if applicable, remove Cllr Darling from any external
roles to which he has been nominated or appointed by the Parish
Council.
 
Dated
10 November 2025
 
Councillor Matthew
Snedker
Councillor James
McGill
Councillor Ian Calvesbert, High
Coniscliffe Parish Council
 
Member Standards Hearing Committee