Two Darlington councillors investigated after ‘wrestling’ in parish meeting

The agenda for the Middleton St George parish council meeting was quite dull: village show costs, condition of footpaths and a quote for a flagpole inspection.

But the meeting itself was more lively, with two councillors exchanging insults before a“wrestling match” that led to scratches, bleeding, a bruised finger and the destruction of spectacles said to be worth £325.

A meeting of Darlington borough council’s standards committee will next week discuss a detailed investigation into the behaviour of parish councillor David Darling and borough councillor Colin Pease, both in their 70s.

It will consider whether the pair breached codes of conduct in an altercation witnesses said involved raised voices, punches and “a rugby type tackle”.

Middleton St George is a pretty, generally sleepy village near Teesside airport where not much happens.

Trouble flared at a meeting in May last year when Pease, a former RAF squadron leader, was called on to give his ward councillor’s report, according to the investigation.

Darling began reading a long list of prepared questions to Pease with the conversation becoming heated because Darling was asking them “in a raised voice and provoking manner” and not allowing time to answer.

Pease then stood up, pointed his finger on the table and called Darling “a prat … before going towards the door to exit the room”.

According to Darling’s wife, Pease actually said “why are you sticking your nose in”, “you can carry on running your own little fiefdom without me” and finally “I’m not listening to that prat” before heading to the door.

The report says there is a dispute about who started it “and who assaulted who”.

Pease accused Darling of “grabbing him round the neck, headbutting his nose resulting in blood on his shirt with cuts and bruises on his collarbone and arms”.

Darling denied this saying Pease “punched him first.” He suffered a bruised finger.

According to the meeting’s chair, Hazel Bullock, it was Darling who “set upon” Pease who reciprocated “with both men being locked in a very physical exchange of attempted punches and hair pulling”.

Another councillor said Darling went towards Pease in a “rugby-type tackle” and it “was like a wrestling match”.

Another said there was “lot of pushing and shoving” and both parties were as responsible as the other. One witness said: “Darling flung his arm around CP’s neck and punched him three times in the face.” Another said the men were just “ragging each other around”.

Pease recalled saying to Darling: “These glasses you have just broken cost £325, what is the matter with you?”

Next week’s meeting will be told of two audio recordings, excerpts of which are published in the report.

They include Bullock saying “for goodness sake have some dignity David stop” and another person saying “no hey Colin, Colin Colin stop it.”

One witness is heard shouting: “David you will end up having a stroke doing that, sit down.”

The investigator, Ellie Dewar, says in the report: “The majority of evidence supports a view that councillor Darling initiated the physical altercation by grabbing hold of councillor Pease’s neck. This led to punches being thrown. In my view councillor Pease has acted in reasonable and proportionate self-defence in trying to get his attacker off him.”

The report says it will be for members of the council’s standards committee, meeting on Monday, to decide if code of conduct provisions have been breached.

Both men have been approached for comment. Pease told the Guardian he would save his comment for Monday’s meeting.