Assaulting someone would be 'career suicide'

TV star Tompkinson in dock

- JEREMY ARMSTRONG

ACTOR Stephen Tompkinson gave evidence for the first time in his assault trial, and denied hitting a drunken man in the street, saying: "There is no evidence of a punch."

The 57-year-old star denies causing grievous bodily harm to Karl Poole, 48, and told the jury: "It would have been career suicide to do something as outrageous as an assault."

Tompkinson was arrested on May 30, 2021, the day he allegedly punched Mr Poole in a 5.30am altercation outside the actor's home. The jury heard Tompkinson had come out of his house in pyjama bottoms and a dressing gown to find Mr. Poole and his friend Andrew Hall "falling about drunk" in front of his drive in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.

Tompkinson said he had gone outside after hearing "groans interspersed with laughter" from the two men, adding that he was concerned they would wake his girlfriend and her seven-year-old son.