The actor Stephen Tompkinson has been discovered not responsible of inflicting grievous bodily hurt on a person he confronted for drunkenly making noise exterior his home.
The DCI Banks star, 57, was accused of punching Karl Poole within the head after discovering him and a pal consuming on the backside of his driveway within the early hours of 30 May 2021.
Mr Poole fell to the bottom and broke his cranium when his head hit the pavement, Newcastle Crown Court was advised.
Tompkinson denied punching Mr Poole and stated he was “not responsible” for the double cranium fracture he sustained.
The actor, who was dwelling along with his companion and her seven-year-old son on the time, stated he got here out of his home in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, at round 5.30 am after listening to “strange noises”.
Tompkinson referred to as 999 after seeing the pair attempt to rise up and fall a number of instances whereas consuming from a bottle of Jagermeister, jurors heard.
While ready to be related, Tompkinson went exterior carrying pyjamas and a dressing robe and advised the boys who he was calling.
He advised the courtroom the 2 “heavily intoxicated” males “took great objection to me complaining about them being there” and had began to maneuver in the direction of him.
He stated he put his hand out to cease Mr Poole from coming any additional.
“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 stated.
He added that when he initially noticed the boys it was a “horrible sight” and he had been frightened about glass breaking in an space the place his companion’s little one performs.
Giving proof in his defence, the Ballykissangel star stated he made contact with Mr Poole’s face however that it “wasn’t enough to knock a sober man off his feet”.
He stated it could be “career suicide to do something as outrageous as assault someone”.
Prosecutors claimed Tompkinson “snapped” and “lashed out” at Mr Poole in “disgust” at his behaviour.
Neighbour Caroline Davidson, who was watching from her bed room window, advised the courtroom she noticed Tompkinson slap and punch Mr Poole, inflicting him to stumble and fall backwards, hitting his head on the bottom.
Tompkinson stated he couldn’t have punched Mr Poole as a result of he was holding his telephone.
On Thursday, a jury discovered him not responsible of inflicting grievous bodily hurt after deliberating for just below two hours.
Tompkinson thanked the jury as they left the courtroom after being discovered not responsible.
Asked for his response as he was leaving courtroom, Tompkinson advised reporters: “I just want to go home.”
He advised the courtroom throughout his trial that he has misplaced performing work since being charged and any affiliation with him within the trade was “on hold” whereas the authorized proceedings have been hanging over him.
Source: information.sky.com”