DCI Banks star Stephen Tompkinson 'punched drunk man leaving him with traumatic head injuries while in dressing gown'
4 May 2023, 17:35 | Updated: 4 May 2023, 19:10
The star of DCI Banks left a man with "traumatic brain injuries" after punching him for drunken behaviour while in his pyjamas and dressing gown, a court has heard.
Stephen Tompkinson, 57, punched a drunken man unconscious and left him with traumatic brain injuries, prosecutors claim.
The second day of Mr Tompkinson's trial at Newcastle Crown Court took place today, as the actor faces accusations of causing grievous bodily harm to Karl Poole on May 30 2021.
Jurors heard Mr Poole and his friend Andrew Hall had been drinking since about midnight on the night and went to the beach to watch the sunrise. As they made the journey back home, however, they walked past the star’s house.
Mr Hall told court today he heard the “hitting of flesh” and a “cracking” sound as his friend was knocked to the ground in the alleged assault.
He said at first he heard “shouting and a commotion” from afar and then spotted his friend talking to Mr Tompkinson on the actor's driveway.
Mr Poole said he calmed the situation down between the two, and they started walking away from the star, who was wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown at the time.
He said Mr Poole ended up lying unconscious on the ground with “traumatic head injuries”.
After Mr Tompkinson allegedly punched the man, Mr Hall said the actor displayed “a bit of humanity and remorse”, as he fell “on his haunches with his hands on his head”.
Prosecutor Michael Bunch said Mr Tompkinson called the police at 5:30am the day the incident occurred and reported two drunken men outside his seaside home in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.
The DCI Banks star has denied the accusations against him and is expected to argue self-defence.
One of Tompkinson’s neighbours, Caroline Davidson, told the court today that she also witnessed the incident.
She told the court she was initially woken by “hysterical laughter” and saw two “very drunk” men lying on the floor outside.
She went back to bed after this but got up again when she heard a voice with a “different tone”.
She watched the DCI star and the two drunken men speak to each other and said Mr Poole and Mr Hall “started to try and walk off”.
Ms Davidson added: “The two males started to turn. You could see maybe something was being said.
"The next thing I knew the neighbour had stepped forward and he had slapped one of the gentlemen, the one without the top on, with his right hand and then punched him on the head with his left hand."
According to Ms Davidson, nothing “precipitated that action” and she was “100% sure” that it was the actor who had moved towards the drunken men.
When asked if the drunken pair had behaved aggressively towards Mr Tompkinson at all, she replied “no”.
The trial continues.
