A PARISH councillor who threw water over another member at the end of a heated meeting has escaped suspension.

But Crossways councillor Abi Scard must go for training, the chairman of West Dorset District Council’s standards committee said.

Earlier, members had decided that Mrs Scard broke the council’s code of conduct by throwing water over Andrew Brewer, who suffered from a heart condition.

They accepted the finding of facts prepared by Graham Rowe, who investigated the incident that occurred a year ago at Crossways village hall.

Mrs Scard was later arrested and given a formal caution for common assault.

In his report Mr Rowe stated the then chairman Daniel Smy said Mrs Scard had started to ‘introduce this awful diatribe about Andrew Brewer’ during any other business and asked her to stop.

Mr Rowe said that when she continued Mr Smy asked her to leave and when she refused he closed the meeting.

Mrs Scard told Mr Rowe she left the hall and was upset and told the rector, Jacquie Birdseye: “It’s a stinking village full of stinking people, so what is the point.”

She was later joined by Coun Valerie Bache who told them what others were saying.

Mr Rowe reported Mrs Scard told him she had gone back, seen Mr Brewer and told him “You’re an intimidator and a bully and an absolute thug.”

Then she threw water over him from two jugs and repeated her words.

Mr Rowe stated he considered she had broken the code of conduct by failing to show respect to Mr Brewer and that her conduct brought the council into disrepute.

Committee chairman Susan Davies told Mrs Scard, whose husband and mother had died in recent months in the run- up to the incident: “We thought quite seriously in the light of the seriousness of the incident it should be suspension.

“But in the light of all the background information about the difficulties and unhelpfulness surrounding Crossways Parish Council and the fact that Mrs Scard was still recovering from great sadness in her own life and was a little more vulnerable than usual we have decided to censure Mrs Scard and ask her to undertake training.”

She added that committee members suggested Mrs Scard contact the DAPTC – the Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils – for help in addressing issues.

The committee also considered a report by Mr Rowe about Mrs Scard’s complaint about Mr Brewer, alleging that he breached the code of conduct by being bullying, hostile and rude.

Mr Rowe concluded that Mr Brewer had not breached the code but the standards committee was not entirely satisfied and would hold a hearing into the matter.

After the meeting Mrs Scard declined to comment but her brother Nick Westbrook said: “Abi has never denied that the incident occurred. She has apologised to the village.

“I know she will look forward to undertaking the training. She will be able to draw a line under this now.”