Any member of the public is potentially a member of your audience and you have to treat them with respect at all times. "I didn't want to hurt him, I wanted to stop him to change his mind about coming towards me and further on to my property," Mr Tompkinson said.Īsked by his barrister Nicholas Lumley KC if he had anything to gain by assaulting Mr Poole, Tompkinson said: "Absolutely not. 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 said he watched the pair attempt to stand up and fall several times, while drinking from a bottle of Jagermeister. 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 (Mr Poole) was just wearing underpants. He admitted making contact with his face but that it "wasn't enough to knock a sober man off his feet". Mr Tompkinson, however, said that Mr Poole simply “made contact” with his outstretched hand as he tried to calm him down. Prosecutors claimed Mr Tompkinson "snapped" and "lashed out" at Mr Poole in "disgust" at his behaviour.
Mr Poole fell to the ground and broke his skull when his head hit the pavement, the court was told.
Mr Tompkinson stood trial at Newcastle Crown Court accused of punching Mr Poole in the head after finding him and a friend drinking at the bottom of his driveway in the early hours of May 30 2021. The man he was alleged to have attacked, Karl Poole, walked out of court shaking his head. The 57-year-old, also known for his roles in Wild at Heart and Ballykissangel, let out a sigh of relief as he was found not guilty of grievous bodily harm at Newcastle Crown Court following a two year-long ordeal. DCI Banks actor Stephen Tompkinson said he “just wants to go home” after being cleared by a jury of assaulting a drunk man who was making noise outside his home.
0 kommentar(er)
