A TORFAEN councillor was accused of being a "cyber bully" this week at a tribunal which ruled he had breached the councillors' code of conduct 10 times.

Pontypool councillor Fred Wildgust appeared before an Adjudications Panel for Wales tribunal at the Glen Yr Afon House Hotel in Usk charged with breaching the councillors' code of conduct on 12 occasions in relation to five different complaints, including accusations of bullying and bringing the council into disrepute through his e-mail and online activities.

Cllr Wildgust was found to have committed 10 breaches of the code. He was cleared of two others.

The tribunal heard one of the complaints against Cllr Wildgust was made by fellow Torfaen councillor John Cunningham, who alleged Cllr Wildgust had sent him an e-mail on September 10 2009 which contained rude and disrespectful language.

Giving evidence at the hearing, Cllr Cunningham said he had contacted Cllr Wildgust by e-mail regarding an issue in his ward, but had received a "tirade of abuse" in reply which included branding Cllr Cunningham "useless".

Cllr Cunningham told the tribunal: "You are a cyber bully. You never confront anyone face to face, and make vexatious, frivolous complaints about anyone who works within the authority."

In his evidence Cllr Wildgust told the tribunal that the e-mail to Cllr Cunningham was not disrespectful because it was substantiated in fact, but he later conceded that an objective outsider might view it as rude or disrespectful and conceded that he had breached the code of conduct by failing to show respect and consideration for others.

He was also found to have breached the code by bullying, failing to show respect for senior officers and bringing his office and the authority into disrepute after using an e-mail to accuse Torfaen's monitoring officer Lynda Willis of partiality. The accusation was then circulated to the general public and press. Torfaen chief executive Alison Ward, who made the complaint regarding Ms Willis' treatment, told the tribunal she believed Cllr Wildgust's actions amounted to "bullying" and that his statements had been "damaging" for the local authority.

A third complaint made by Cllr Neil Mason said that on June 5 2009, Cllr Wildgust sent an e-mail to Cllr Mason also using rude and disrespectful language, including comments about Cllr Mason's literary ability, and that this was intimidating, humiliating or insulting to the recipient.

Cllr Wildgust argued that the e-mail to Cllr Mason was sent in response to a message to him which he believed was "rude and unnecessary" and that he had only referred to Cllr Mason's literacy because he did not understand the e-mail Cllr Mason had sent him.

But Cllr Wildgust later agreed he had failed to show respect and consideration for others in this e-mail exchange, and the tribunal found he had also brought his office into disrepute.

Another complaint from Cllr Doug Jones accused Cllr Wildgust of making comments on a website incorrectly implying Cllr Jones was given a position with the fire authority which attracted special responsibility allowances as a way of securing his vote.

Cllr Widgust again conceded that his actions had failed to show respect and consideration for others, and the tribunal also found he had brought his office into disrepute.

The final complaint from Torfaen's monitoring officer Lynda Willis said Cllr Wildgust had disclosed details, including financial information, from a confidential report regarding the sale of Trevethin School and discussed its contents with the press.

Cllr Wildgust conceded he had broken the code of conduct by disclosing confidential information, and the panel also found he had brought his office into disrepute.

Cllr Wildgust could now be suspended for up to a year or disqualified for up to five years.

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