Dear Mr Cornelius
On Friday 3 May Councillor Brian Coleman pleaded guilty
to the charge of common assault by beating of Helen Michael, in the High Road
in North Finchley. Evidence from CCTV was shown in court and proved
incontrovertibly that this incident was nothing less than an utterly
indefensible act of aggression. It resulted from Councillor Coleman being
caught parking in a loading bay, trying to evade the hugely controversial parking
payment scheme he had imposed on residents in this borough.
Despite the fact that he has now been convicted of a
criminal act of assault, Barnet Council has refused to comment, absurdly
claiming that this is unnecessary as the attack did not take place while the
Councillor was on council business.
Indeed local Tory members, including leader Richard
Cornelius, openly continued to support their fellow member after he was
charged, and were privately informing others that the story of the assault was
false. Councillor Coleman was suspended from the party only after intervention
from Conservative Central Office. Since the conviction, local Conservatives
have issued no statement.
By his own actions Councillor Coleman has shown himself
to be unfit for public office: such bullying behaviour, dishonesty and hypocrisy
are not acceptable in an elected representative of the community. We demand
therefore that he stand down from his seat in Totteridge, and that the
Conservative Party expel him from membership.
We call on Richard Cornelius, as leader of Barnet Council,
and on behalf of the Conservative Party in this borough, to apologise to Ms
Michael, and to dissociate himself and his colleagues from this appalling
incident. To remain silent is not an option: to remain silent is to condone an
act of violence against a woman, and this was and must always be absolutely
unacceptable.
Signed:
Derek Dishman
John Dix
Vicki Morris
Theresa Musgrove
Roger Tichborne
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