‘I didn’t hit drunk man, he walked into my hand’
DCI Banks actor denies GBH and tells court that his accuser only fell down because he was inebriated
STEPHEN TOMPKINSON, the actor, has denied claims that he punched a man to the ground, telling a court yesterday that the accuser “made contact” with his outstretched hand.
The 57-year-old, who played the lead role in ITV’S DCI Banks for six years, confronted Karl Poole and his friend Andrew Hall in the early hours of the morning on May 30 last year.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Mr Tompkinson punched Mr Poole to the floor and filmed him on his phone because he was annoyed that the two men might wake his partner and child.
Yesterday, Mr Tompkinson told the court he did not strike Mr Poole with his fist and was “not responsible” for the double skull fracture he sustained when his head hit the pavement.
He 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”.
Mr 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”.
The actor 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, one of whom was Mr Poole, who was wearing just underpants. Mr Tompkinson said he watched the pair attempt to stand up and fall several times while drinking from a bottle of Jagermeister.
“I was very worried [the bottle] would break. That particular area of the driveway was where the seven-year-old liked to practise on the skateboard,” he said.
Mr Tompkinson told the court he called 999 and was waiting to be connected when he went outside and spoke to the men. He said he told them he had called the police, and one of them replied: “Call who you f---ing like, I’m a social worker.”
The actor said the men then got to their feet, unsteadily, and started to move towards him. 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.” Mr 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”.
Mr Tompkinson denies one charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm. The trial continues.