A former deputy provost who at a civic function yesterday claimed he wasn’t “a sexual person”.
Shamed Tory spoke after being ordered to pay £800 compensation to his student victim – who he left trembling and traumatised – and being placed on supervision for eight months.
After being found guilty of sexual assault in December, the 65-year-old Aberdeen City councillor was placed on the sex offenders’ register.
At his sentencing hearing yesterday, Aberdeen Sheriff Ian Wallace told Donnelly his crime amounted to a “sexual advance to someone in the course of their employment” and described his actions as “ entirely inappropriate and distressing”.
The sheriff added: “In hindsight, I’d hope your actions are a source of shame and embarrassment to yourself. The evidence against you was overwhelming. To deny what happened was ludicrous.”
He urged Donnelly to “face up” to what he did at a black tie dinner at Aberdeen’s Incorporated Trades Trinity Hall on November 3, 2018.
Donnelly was representing the council at the function and his wine glass had been regularly topped up.
He took a shine to a male waiter, telling him he was “too good-looking” to be a waiter.
The victim said Donnelly went on to run his fingers through his hair, touch his body and plant a kiss on his cheek.
Donnelly resigned from the Scottish Conservatives and was removed from all council committees. But he remains a councillor for the Torry and Ferryhill ward in Aberdeen.
Outside court, he moaned: “This is my ninth court appearance – it’s been very traumatic for me.
“I’ve never harmed anybody in my life. I’m a first time offender apart from three historic speeding tickets. I’ve never hurt anybody in my life, physically, violently or sexually.
"I’m not a sexual person.
“I am gutted. I’ve accepted the verdict but I’m not saying no more.”
Asked if he was going to stand down as a councillor, he replied: “All my options are open and I will be looking at them.”
