London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Stephen Tompkinson trial: Actor 'caused traumatic brain injuries'

Stephen Tompkinson trial: Actor 'caused traumatic brain injuries'

Actor Stephen Tompkinson caused traumatic brain injuries to a man he punched outside his home, a court has heard.

The 57-year-old, best known for his role in ITV drama DCI Banks, is accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Karl Poole on 30 May 2021.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he punched Mr Poole to the ground, causing him to bang his head and fracture his skull.

Mr Tompkinson, who lives in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, denies the charge.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch told the court the actor had called the police at about 05:30 before approaching two drunk men.

He told officers he had taken a bottle of Jagermeister from them and wanted them "moved on" as they were causing a disturbance outside the house he shared with his partner and her child.

In the call, played in court, he said he had "two incapable drunks" outside his house and that one of them was "just in his underwear".

"I've asked them to move. They can't move," he told the call handler.

The jury heard Mr Poole and his friend, Andrew Hall, had been drinking since around midnight and had gone to the beach to watch the sunrise before walking back to Mr Hall's house, passing Mr Tompkinson's home on Beech Grove on the way.


'Obviously heavily drunk'


A neighbour, Caroline Davidson, was woken by the noise of "laughing and carrying on" and looked out of her bedroom window to see the two men lying on a path, where Mr Poole was only wearing underpants with a towel lying next to him.

She looked out again about five minutes later and saw Mr Tompkinson speaking to the men and "formed the view, from his hand gestures" that the actor was telling them to "get on their way", Mr Bunch said.

"It appeared that one of the men said something back and Mrs Davidson saw her neighbour draw back his fist, before apparently thinking better of it and lowering his hand," he said.

The two men were "obviously heavily drunk", Mr Poole "could hardly stay upright" and stopped after walking a short distance before "wobbling from side to side", the court was told.

Mr Tompkinson then "slapped Mr Poole with his right hand before punching him to the head with his left fist", Mr Bunch said.

"Mr Poole stumbled and then fell backwards striking his head on the roadway, where he lay unconscious," he added.

Stephen Tompkinson found fame in the TV show Ballykissangel in 1996


The court heard that on seeing Mr Poole fall, Mrs Davidson told her husband to call for an ambulance.

Jurors heard the actor, who starred as Father Peter Clifford in Ballykissangel, used his mobile phone to record two videos of the men but did not call the ambulance service himself.

Still unconscious, Mr Poole was taken to hospital and found to have a fractured skull and significant traumatic brain injuries.

Mr Tompkinson, who was born in Stockton-on-Tees, told police he had acted in self-defence and only pushed Mr Poole after the men became "aggressive" towards him.

He said he turned to face Mr Hall and, when he looked back, Mr Poole was on the ground, the court heard.

However, the actor's claims that the men had been aggressive were "simply not supported by any of the evidence", Mr Bunch said.

"The truth is that the defendant's story is nothing more than a weak attempt by him to deflect blame onto others for what were his wholly unjustified aggressive actions."

Giving evidence, Mr Poole said he had "absolutely zero" memory of that night and his police statement's description of what happened was "from what I've been told".

Mr Tompkinson's defence, Nicholas Lumley KC, suggested to Mr Poole he "fell as a result of a simple push" and had since exaggerated what happened.

Mr Poole confirmed he had made a compensation claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

The trial, which is expected to last four days, continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×