A Leicester city councillor has appeared in court accused of falsely implicating her former partner in a crime.
Labour member Barbara Potter has been charged with perverting the course of justice by making a false report to the police about her ex-partner, Andrew Taylor.
The former city Labour group chief whip appeared at the Leicester Magistrates' court yesterday for a short hearing and the case was adjourned for a crown court trial later this month.
Potter, 47, of Winslow Green, Netherhall, Leicester, did not enter a plea to the charge of making a false report, on August 8, to officers about Mr Taylor with whom she had an 18-year relationship.
However, the prosecution told the court that she was expected to deny the offence.
After the hearing, Potter, a councillor for Humberstone and Hamilton, told the Mercury: "I will be pleading not guilty.
"There will be a trial and I am looking forward to proving I have not done anything wrong."
Yesterday, she said he wanted to address Labour group members when they meet on Monday night to discuss what, if any action, to take regarding her court appearance.
She said that she feared she may be suspended from the party because of the charge and, therefore, excluded from the meeting.
She has said she felt she had been let down by most of her city council Labour colleagues and that she had been considering quitting the party and becoming an independent member.
She said: "I have a few things I would like to say to them but I don't know if they will let me go.
"Some of the other Labour councillors have been very supportive but most of them have gone quiet.
"I am very disappointed because I think I deserved better from them," she said.
Labour group chairman councillor Patrick Kitterick said: "We are still awaiting advice from the national party on the best way forward regarding Councillor Potter.
"We will consider any request from her about attending the Labour group meeting on Monday."
