London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Mar 12, 2025

Stephen Tompkinson trial: Actor denies punching drunk man

Stephen Tompkinson trial: Actor denies punching drunk man

Actor Stephen Tompkinson has told his trial punching a drunk man outside his home would have been "career suicide".

The 57-year-old also said he would have broken his fingers if he had struck Karl Poole, in Whitley Bay, in May 2021, because he had been holding his phone at the time.

Mr Tompkinson, of Whitley Bay, denies causing grievous bodily harm.

He told Newcastle Crown Court Mr Poole and his friend had been the "definition of drunk and disorderly".

Mr Poole sustained a double skull fracture when he fell and hit his head during the altercation outside Mr Tompkinson's home at about 05:30 BST.

The DCI Banks and Ballykissangel star insists he did not punch Mr Poole but pushed him away in self-defence.

Giving evidence, the actor said he called the police after seeing Mr Poole and Andrew Hall drunk in the street.

He described the men as repeatedly falling over and drinking from a bottle of Jägermeister - which he took from them as he was concerned they would drop it.

"They were making a lot of noise and they could barely stand. I thought it was in their best interests as well to get them assisted home at least," the defendant said.

Stephen Tompkinson found fame in the TV shows Ballykissangel and Drop the Dead Donkey


He said a neighbour's previous evidence that he raised a fist, and then thought better of it, was him showing the men his phone to prove he had called the police.

In response to the gesture, Mr Hall, swearing, told the Drop The Dead Donkey star he could call who he liked, adding: "I'm a social worker", the jury heard.

Mr Tompkinson said he was so "dazzled" by the response that he repeated the words "I'm a social worker" because "it hardly seemed like conduct becoming of one".

Mr Poole then turned and said, also swearing, that he did not care who Mr Tompkinson was.

The "whole atmosphere changed very quickly", going from "jovial to frightening", with both men getting unsteadily to their feet and approaching him, the actor said.

He put his right hand out to make a "stop" motion, his flat palm connected with Mr Poole's face and he fell to the ground because of his "unsteadiness", he added.

"I didn't want to hurt him, I wanted to stop him, change his mind," Mr Tompkinson said.

"It wasn't enough to knock a sober man off his feet."

The actor said he always wanted to treat members of his potential audience "with respect"


The actor said he was holding his phone so could not have thrown a punch without hurting himself "or risking some solid metal going into Karl's face".

The court heard Mr Poole did not have visible facial injuries.

Asked if he had punched or assaulted Mr Poole, the actor said no.

He told the court he was "not responsible" for the brain injuries Mr Poole sustained.

When asked if he accepted some accountability, Mr Tompkinson agreed.

His barrister, Nicholas Lumley KC, said: "Standing there now, how do you feel about that head injury?"

Mr Tompkinson replied: "That's the reason we are all here. It's a terrible thing to have happened to anyone."


'Just not him'


After Ballykissangel reached 15 million viewers his father reminded him he had been "invited into people's living rooms now, and you must always treat them with respect", the actor told the jury.

"And I always try to," he said.

"It would be career suicide to do something as outrageous as assault someone."

He had not worked since he had been charged, he added.

Comedian and writer Andy Hamilton and actors Nichola McAuliffe and Dean Bone appeared in court as character witnesses for the defence.

Mr Hamilton worked with the actor on Drop The Dead Donkey but had "never seen him lose his temper", the jury was told.

"I can't remember ever hearing him raise his voice. I have never seen him get abusive or aggressive with anyone. That's just not him."

The court was also read a character statement from Hayley Mills, his co-star in the vet drama Wild At Heart, who said the animals all "responded to the calm way he dealt with them".

The trial continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Detained in Manila Under ICC Warrant
Mark Carney Chosen as Head of Canada's Liberal Party, Poised to Assume Role of Prime Minister
Russia Kicks Out British Diplomats in Escalated Tensions
Significant Rescue Effort in Progress Following Collision Between Tanker and Cargo Ship in the North Sea
Pope Francis Exhibits Signs of Recovery, Yet Remains Hospitalized
Report of Radioactive Coolant Leak at Europe’s Largest Nuclear Reactor
Trump Administration Launches Self-Deportation App for Undocumented Immigrants
Syria Wraps Up Military Campaign Amid Extensive Violence and Large-Scale Executions
Trump Remarks on the Arrest of a Pro-Palestinian Student at Columbia University
Former Labour MP Mike Amesbury to Resign Following Assault Conviction
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Prepares for Spring Statement Amid Economic Challenges
Home Secretary Denies Public Inquiry into Sir David Amess's Murder
UK Energy Bills to Increase by 80 Pence to Support Discounts for Households Near Pylons
Russian Teacher Under Investigation After Explicit Content Incident in Classroom
Poland Plans Comprehensive Military Training for All Adult Males Amid Enhanced Defense Initiatives
Lithuania Withdraws from Cluster Munitions Convention Amid Security Concerns
Escalating Vandalism Targets Tesla Amid Political Controversies
Former Security Adviser Cautions That UK Troop Presence in Ukraine May Last for Years
Demonstrations Break Out as Individual Ascends Big Ben Carrying Palestinian Flag
Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe Suspended Amid Allegations of Violence and Bullying
Private spacecraft Athena has successfully landed close to the Moon's south pole.
Trump Administration Unveils Gold Card Visa Program Exempting Foreign Assets from U.S. Taxation
Trump Holds White House Summit for Cryptocurrency Leaders Amid Financial Scandals
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Highlights the Importance of the US in Attaining Peace
Trump Discovers Negotiating with Russia More Manageable than with Ukraine During Ongoing Conflict
Google Eliminates Women's History Month and Various Cultural Celebrations from Calendar App
Pope Francis Offers Thanks Despite Continuing Health Issues
King Charles III Reveals Curated Playlist on Apple Music in Anticipation of Commonwealth Day.
Disney's Biggest Cruise Ship Set to Debut in Singapore
Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff, the former 'Baywatch' star, tragically took her own life at the age of 62.
NYPD Detective Encounters Criticism for Viral Music Video Appearance
Trinity College Dublin Honors Eavan Boland by Naming a Building After Her, Signifying a Landmark Achievement
Ex-UK Ambassador Cautions Against a Significant Change in US-UK Relations.
UK Government Confirms Prohibition on Issuing New North Sea Drilling Licences During Shift to Clean Energy
Macron Cautions Against Growing Russian Aggression as U.S. Support for Ukraine Evolves
Trump Offers Short-Term Tariff Waiver to Automakers During Trade Strains
Tesla's UK Sales Increase Despite a Wider European Decline and CEO's Political Engagement
Court Rejects Elon Musk's Request to Block OpenAI's Shift to For-Profit, Accelerates Trial Schedule
Global Scam Operation Takes Advantage of Phony Celebrity Promotions to Swindle Thousands
Assurances from Barclays Chairman Postponed Investigation into CEO's Connections with Jeffrey Epstein
Bank of England Cautions of 'Significant' Risk to UK Economy Due to US Trade Policies
Trump Emphasizes Peace Initiatives and Trade Strategies in Recent Address to Congress
US Administration Dismisses Gaza Reconstruction Plan Proposed by Arab Leaders
Historic Surge in Americans Seeking UK Citizenship Following Trump's Re-election
EU Member States Endorse Gradual Rollout of Entry/Exit System
President Trump Indicates Willingness to Restore U.S.-Ukraine Relations Following Recent Strains
Macron Calls on Europe to Bolster Defense in the Face of Russian Threats and Possible U.S. Withdrawal
Heartbreaking Passing of 20-Year-Old American Bodybuilder Sparks Health Worries
Russia Announces Finalization of Passport Distribution in Occupied Areas of Ukraine.
Macron Contemplates Joint Trip to Washington with Zelensky and the Prime Minister of the UK.
×