DCI Banks actor Stephen Tompkinson denies punching drunk man after finding ‘horrible sight’ outside his home
British actor Stephen Tompkinson has told a court that punching a man would have been “career suicide”, while admitting there was “a bit of angriness” when he found two drunks outside his home.
The 57-year-old DCI Banks star is accused of punching a man to the ground who was drunkenly making “strange noises” outside his home in the early hours of 30 May 2021.
He denies inflicting grievous bodily harm.
On Tuesday, Tompkinson told Newcastle Crown Court he did not punch Karl Poole and was “not responsible” for the double skull fracture he sustained when his head hit the pavement.
The court has heard Tompkinson came out of his house at around 5.30am, wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown, to challenge Mr Poole and his friend Andrew Hall, who were both “heavily intoxicated”.
Tompkinson said when he spotted the men it was a “horrible sight” and he had been worried about glass breaking in an area where his partner’s child plays.
Giving evidence in his defence, the Ballykissangel star said he put his hand out to stop Mr Poole coming towards him and made contact with his face but that it “wasn’t enough to knock a sober man off his feet”.
Actor Stephen Tompkinson arrives at Newcastle Crown Court
Asked by his barrister Nicholas Lumley if he had anything to gain by assaulting Mr Poole, Tompkinson said: “Absolutely not. Any member of the public is potentially a member of your audience and you have to treat them with respect at all times.
“It would be career suicide to do something as outrageous as assault someone.”
Tompkinson said he had had acting work “taken away” since being charged with grievous bodily harm, and that while the legal proceedings are hanging over him, “any association with me is put on hold”.
He told the court: “I’m not trying to compare my situation with the injury Karl suffered – they don’t compare.”
On the opening day of the trial, jurors were told Mr Poole suffered traumatic brain injuries as a result of the incident.
Actor ‘guided’ man to ground in ‘frightening’ situation
Tompkinson said at the time of the alleged assault he was living in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, with his partner and her seven-year-old son.
Jurors heard he had woken up early that morning, heard “strange noises” and saw two “heavily intoxicated” men drinking at the bottom of his driveway.
Tompkinson said he watched the pair repeatedly fall while drinking from a bottle of Jagermeister, adding: “It seemed to me they were the very definition of drunk and disorderly”.
He told the court he called 999 and was waiting to be connected to the police when he said to the men: “Come on lads, look at the state of you, look at the time, there’s people asleep in the house, you can’t be doing this.”
Asked if he was angry, Tompkinson said: “I think there was a bit of angriness in there, it was a horrible sight and I certainly didn’t want the rest of the household to be greeted by them when they woke up.”
Tompkinson said he told the men he had called the police and the situation became “frightening”, adding that the men got to their feet and started to move towards him.
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He told the court he put his hands on Mr Hall and “guided” him to the ground, then saw Mr Poole coming towards him.
“I didn’t want to hurt him, I wanted to stop him to change his mind about coming towards me and further onto my property.”
Tompkinson said as he went to make a ‘stop’ motion, his hand connected with the left side of Mr Poole’s face and that he went to the floor because of his “unsteadiness”.
Asked if it would have been possible for him to have made a fist, he said: “Not without breaking my fingers or risking some solid metal going into Karl’s face.”
The trial continues.
Gary Glitter will stay in prison after the Parole Board refused the disgraced singer’s bid to be released.
Glitter, 81, was recalled to jail less than six weeks after he was released halfway through his 16-year sentence in 2023 for breaching his licence conditions by allegedly viewing downloaded images of children.
He was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment in 2015 after being found guilty of sexually assaulting three schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980.
The Parole Board last year said it was “not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public” after a hearing held behind closed doors.
Glitter was jailed in 2015 Pic: PA
A spokesman on Tuesday said his release was refused again following a “paper review”.
“Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community,” a statement said.
“A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.
“Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.”
Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, will be eligible for a further review at a date set by the Ministry of Justice. His sentence expires in February 2031.
He was made bankrupt earlier this year after failing to pay more than £500,000 in damages to a woman who sued him for abusing her when she was 12 years old.
Richard Scorer, head of abuse law and public inquiries at Slater and Gordon, who represented the woman, told Sky News the Parole Board has made “the right decision”.
He added: “My client is relieved at this ruling but apprehensive about having to go through the merry-go-round of Gadd coming up for parole again, and the fear of him being let out on licence.
“This is unfair on victims and it would be better if they were assured that he would serve the rest of his sentence.”
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Glitter was first jailed for four months in 1999 after he admitted possessing around 4,000 indecent images of children.
He was expelled from Cambodia in 2002, and in March 2006 was convicted of sexually abusing two girls, aged 10 and 11, in Vietnam, where he spent two-and-a-half years in prison.
Glitter was automatically released from HMP The Verne, a low-security prison in Portland, Dorset, in February 2023 after serving half of his fixed-term determinate sentence.
But he was back behind bars weeks later after reportedly trying to access the dark web and images of children.
Kim Woodburn – a former cleaner who found fame presenting the hit TV show How Clean Is Your House? – has died.
Woodburn, who was 83, later became a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, finishing as runner-up.
Woodburn came third in Celebrity Big Brother 2017. Pic: PA
Her manager said in a statement: “It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved Kim Woodburn passed away yesterday following a short illness.
“Kim was an incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person.
“Her husband, Peter, is heartbroken at the loss of his soulmate.
“We are so proud of the amazing things Kim achieved in her life and career.
“We kindly ask that Kim’s husband and close friends are given the time and privacy they need to grieve.
“We will not be releasing any further details.”
Woodburn with Aggie MacKenzie (L). Pic: PA
On Tuesday, her husband shared a video montage of photos of Woodburn over the years, starting when she was just four years old, with the message: “My wonderful, beautiful, Kim passed away last night. God bless, my love, xx xx”
Known for her trademark tight, plaited bun, Kim was largely blind in her right eye, and had poor sight in her left eye, and earlier this year had told her followers she was undergoing emergency eye surgery.
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Woodburn, who had been selling video greetings to fans, shared her last Instagram post in February, when she posted a message saying “Kim is unable to record any further videos for the foreseeable future due to a health problem”.
She wrote: “No more videos for now, my loves, I need to get better!”
Woodburn, born Patricia Mary in Hampshire, left a turbulent home life aged 16, moving to Liverpool to become a live-in cleaner.
She revealed in her 2006 autobiography that, at the age of 23, she prematurely gave birth to a stillborn son and buried him in a park.
The revelation in her book led to a police inquiry, but no action was taken by officers.
In the same year as the stillbirth, she changed her name to Kim – after American actress Kim Novak.
Years later, she was scouted by a TV company looking for a cleaner with an engaging personality to front How Clean is Your House?
Paired with Scottish cleaner Aggie MacKenzie, the two professional cleaners fronted the show – a ratings hit and a pioneer for the home cleaning genre – from 2003 to 2009.
Woodburn went on to appear in Celebrity Big Brother, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of here! and E4’s Celebrity Cooking School, as well as regularly contributing to ITV’s This Morning and Loose Women.
She also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, Celebrity Come Dine With Me and A Place In The Sun.
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