Actor Stephen Tompkinson on Trial for Alleged Assault: Neighbour Testifies to Seeing Him Slap and Punch Drunk Man

Actor Stephen Tompkinson is on trial at Newcastle Crown Court, accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Karl Poole on May 30, 2021.

Tompkinson, known for his role in the television series DCI Banks, is accused of slapping and punching Poole in the head after asking him and his friend, Andrew Hall, to move away from his home in the early hours of the morning.

Tompkinson had called the police to ask for the men to be carried on. Jurors heard that Poole and Hall had been drinking since midnight and had gone to the beach to watch the sunrise before walking past Tompkinson’s home in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.

Tompkinson’s neighbor, Caroline Davidson, testified in court that she saw Tompkinson using hand movements to ask the men to move away. At one point, he pulled his fist back but put it down straight away before walking back towards his house while making a phone call.

When the men started to turn around, the neighbor saw Tompkinson slap Poole with his right hand and then punch him on the head with his left hand, causing Poole to fall and hit his head on the ground.

Tompkinson denies the charge, saying that he put his hand out to stop the men and that he could not have thrown a punch with his left hand because he was holding his phone. During the trial, jurors heard that Tompkinson told police he had taken a bottle from the two men.

When the police arrived, he placed a bottle of Jagermeister at the feet of the man lying on the floor. Davidson also testified that Tompkinson had his phone in his hand throughout the incident after calling the police and could not have punched with his left hand and slapped with his right.

Hall, Poole’s friend, said that he heard a “cracking” when Poole’s head hit the floor and that Tompkinson had his phone out but was not calling for help. The trial continues, and Tompkinson denies the charge.