A 21-MONTH suspension has been handed to a community councillor.

David Barrett has been suspended by Haddington and District Community Council for a second time since being elected in 2021.

The group held a behind-closed-doors meeting last week where discussions took place to decide if Mr Barrett’s behaviour and conduct breached the code of conduct for community councillors.

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A spokesperson said: “The meeting was chaired by an independent chair and observed by an independent observer, and David Barrett had two supporters that he invited to support him at the meeting.

“After presentation of evidence by Haddington and District Community Council office bearers and then hearing David Barrett’s defence, members of the community council voted that David Barrett’s behaviour from April 2023 onwards did indeed breach the code of conduct.

“A vote followed on what would be a reasonable sanction; considering that this is a second offence, it was agreed that David Barrett would be suspended from Haddington and District Community Council until September 30, 2025.

“No further information on the exact behaviour and conduct and what was said at the meeting will be supplied.

“Haddington and District Community Council has a duty of confidentiality to anyone named at the meeting or in any documents relating to the meeting.”

Mr Barrett, who was earlier suspended in 2022, described the meeting as being “devoid of any semblance of due process, in plain terms, fairness or justice”.

READ MORE: David Barrett refuses to leave Haddington community council meeting after suspension

The suspension runs until the community council elections in 2025 and he said: “Over the last four years, I have been subjected to defamation, hate crime and malicious communications.

“I have been referred to as mentally defective and accused falsely of unsubstantiated harassment by a senior office bearer. The local police refused to investigate.

“Members and councillors refuse to reveal the culprit who has anonymously telephoned my GP to claim I should be sectioned and, at this special meeting, senior office bearers repeatedly described me as ‘delusional’ without sanction. A more blatant example of gaslighting – insinuating insanity – would be hard to find.”