Stephen Tompkinson trial: Actor denies punching drunk man

Actor Stephen Tompkinson has told his proceedings punching a drunk antheral extracurricular his location would person been "career suicide".

The 57-year-old besides said helium would person breached his fingers if helium had struck Karl Poole, successful Whitley Bay, successful May 2021, due to the fact that helium had been holding his telephone astatine the time.

Mr Tompkinson, of Whitley Bay, denies causing grievous bodily harm.

He told Newcastle Crown Court Mr Poole and his person had been the "definition of drunk and disorderly".

Mr Poole sustained a treble skull fracture erstwhile helium fell and deed his caput during the altercation extracurricular Mr Tompkinson's location astatine astir 05:30 BST.

The DCI Banks and Ballykissangel prima insists helium did not punch Mr Poole but pushed him distant successful self-defence.

Giving grounds arsenic the defence opened its case, the histrion said helium called the constabulary aft seeing Mr Poole and Andrew Hall drunk successful the street.

He described the men arsenic repeatedly falling implicit and sipping from a vessel of Jägermeister - which helium took from them arsenic helium was acrophobic they would driblet it.

"They were making a batch of sound and they could hardly stand. I thought it was successful their champion interests arsenic good to get them assisted location astatine least," the suspect said.

He said a neighbour's erstwhile grounds that helium raised a fist and past thought amended of it, was him showing the men his telephone to beryllium helium had called the police.

In effect to the gesture, Mr Hall, swearing, told the Drop The Dead Donkey prima helium could telephone who helium liked, adding: "I'm a societal worker", the assemblage heard.

Mr Tompkinson said helium was truthful "dazzled" by the effect that helium repeated the words "I'm a societal worker" due to the fact that "it hardly seemed similar behaviour becoming of one".

Mr Poole past turned and said, again swearing, that helium did not attraction who Mr Tompkinson was.

The "whole ambiance changed precise quickly", going from "jovial to frightening", with some men getting unsteadily to their feet and approaching him, the histrion said.

He said helium enactment his close manus retired to marque a "stop" question and his level thenar connected with Mr Poole's face. Mr Poole fell to the crushed due to the fact that of his "unsteadiness", helium added.

"I didn't privation to wounded him, I wanted to halt him, alteration his mind," Mr Tompkinson said.

"It wasn't capable to sound a sober antheral disconnected his feet."

The histrion said helium was holding his telephone truthful could not person thrown a punch without hurting himself "or risking immoderate coagulated metallic going into Karl's face".

The tribunal heard Mr Poole did not person disposable injuries connected his face.

Asked if helium had punched oregon assaulted Mr Poole, the histrion said no.

He told the tribunal helium was "not responsible" for the encephalon injuries Mr Poole sustained erstwhile his caput deed the pavement.

When asked if helium accepted immoderate accountability, Mr Tompkinson agreed.

His barrister, Nicholas Lumley KC, said: "Standing determination now, however bash you consciousness astir that caput injury?"

Mr Tompkinson replied: "That's the crushed we are each here. It's a unspeakable happening to person happened to anyone."

The suspect said helium had not worked since helium had been charged.

He told the jury: "After we got 15 cardinal viewers for Ballykissangel my begetter said to maine that you indispensable retrieve you person been invited into people's surviving rooms now, and you indispensable ever dainty that with respect.

"It would beryllium vocation termination to bash thing arsenic outrageous arsenic battle someone."

Additional reporting by PA News