Neath Port Talbot Councillor Suspended After Drink-Driving Conviction

A Neath Port Talbot Councillor who was convicted for drink-driving has been suspended from his position as a member.  
Councillor Dean Lewis who represents the Resolven and Tonna ward of
Neath Port Talbot Council was handed a four month suspension from the local authority in June of 2024, after an investigation by the council’s standards committee.
Councillor Lewis is one of two members based in the Resolven and Tonna area, having first been elected in May of 2019 before he was re-elected for the seat in May of 2022.
The investigation came about after a referral by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, following what was said to be a self-referral of the incident by Cllr Lewis.
A report which was given to the standards committee on September 9 2024 for noting, highlighted the decision that had been made after Cllr Lewis’ arrest in January 2023, following a visit to Resolven Rugby Club.
The report said: “Councillor Lewis visited Resolven Rugby Club on the 14th January 2023 and drove home from the Rugby Club after consuming alcohol.
“Later that evening, after he had arrived home, he was arrested on suspicion of
driving his car whilst under the influence of alcohol. He was taken to Swansea Police Station where an alcohol test was conducted.
“The test showed that Councillor Lewis had 54 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. This exceeded the prescribed limit of 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
“On the 3rd February 2023, Councillor Lewis advised the Monitoring Officer of his arrest and the Monitoring Officer advised that Councillor Lewis should make a self-referral to the Ombudsman.
“Councillor Lewis was charged by South Wales Police and released on unconditional bail pending a court hearing at Swansea Magistrates Court. On the 6th June 2023, Councillor Lewis pleaded guilty in court to driving a motor
vehicle when his alcohol level was above the legal limit.
“Councillor Lewis was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for fourteen months and received a fine of six hundred and ninety-one pounds, with the option of the disqualification being reduced by fourteen weeks if Councillor Lewis completed an approved course.”
When it came to the decision to suspend councillor Lewis from his council position the report added: “Pursuant to Regulation 9 of the 2001 Regulations, the Standards Committee, by a majority, made a determination that Councillor Lewis should be suspended as a County Borough Councillor for a period of four calendar months from the date that this notice takes effect.”
In response Councillor Lewis said: “I want to take full responsibility for the events that led to my driving ban. It was a mistake, and I fully understand the seriousness of the situation.
“I fully accept the findings from the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales and the Standards Committee. I understand the importance of maintaining the highest standards of conduct as a local councillor and am committed to serving my constituents with the utmost integrity.
“I have learned a great deal from this experience and accept full responsibility for my actions. I am committed to making better choices in the future and appreciate the continued support of my community.”
The suspension of Councillor Dean Lewis began on July 9, and will now last until November 8, 2024. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​