'Bullying' councillor suspended
Julian Brazil has also been ordered to write a "grovelling" letter of apology to the woman social security investigator he bullied and to undergo a course of training in the local government code of conduct which he breached.
If he fails to do either of these, he will be suspended from his council duties, and lose all council allowances, for a further month up to the maximum suspension possible of six months.
Mr Brazil is the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for the Totnes seat which Tory MP Anthony Steen has said he will not be contesting after the row on MP expenses.
Mr Brazil has just been re-elected to Devon County Council.
Reading out the "sentence" handed down by a local standards board panel, panel chairman Michael Winterton told Mr Brazil the board took the issue of bullying "very seriously".
After the hearing, a furious Mr Brazil said writing the letter of apology meant he would "have to grovel to them".
He declared: "South Hams Council has always tried to gag me. They don't like the fact that I see my role as a representative of the local community rather than a representative of the council."
It was alleged Mr Brazil bullied district council investigator Chris Butterfield during a confrontation at a bakery in the village of Frogmore.
Mr Brazil had denied breaching the code of conduct.
