Stephen Tompkinson trial: Friend says he heard 'hit of flesh'

The person of antheral allegedly punched by histrion Stephen Tompkinson heard a "hit of flesh" and a cracking dependable arsenic helium fell to the ground, a tribunal has heard.

Andrew Hall said helium had been walking down his person Karl Poole erstwhile helium saw him and Mr Tompkinson, 57, rowing.

The actor, who lives successful Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, denies inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Mr Hall told Newcastle Crown Court his person was snoring which helium knew could "represent a superior caput injury".

The tribunal antecedently heard Mr Hall and Mr Poole had been drinking vodka and Jägermeister with Red Bull since midnight earlier going to the formation with a vessel astatine astir 05:30 BST connected 30 May 2021.

They passed Mr Tompkinson's location successful Beech Grove connected their mode home.

On Wednesday, jurors were played a signaling of the Stockton-born histrion calling constabulary to inquire for the 2 drunk men extracurricular his location to beryllium moved on.

Mr Hall said helium saw his person and the histrion gesturing astatine each different and tried to calm the concern by saying helium was a societal worker.

"Then I heard a deed of soma and I saw Karl deed the floor," helium said.

"He was knocked retired and snoring which I cognize - I'm not a paramedic but I cognize from grooming that I person done - I cognize that it tin correspond a superior caput injury."

Under cross-examination Mr Hall agreed helium could not retrieve parts of what happened - including falling implicit with Mr Poole erstwhile play warring - due to the fact that helium had been drinking.

He besides described the enactment with Mr Tompkinson connected the actor's driveway arsenic a "blur".

It was enactment to Mr Hall his grounds had "dramatically changed" compared to his archetypal connection to police, successful which helium said helium did not cognize however his person ended up connected the floor.

Mr Tompkinson's defence barrister, Nicholas Lumley KC, said to him: "You did not perceive the dependable of the interaction that caused him to fall."

Mr Hall replied: "Not 100%."

The tribunal was shown mobile telephone footage of Mr Poole lying successful the thoroughfare successful conscionable his underpants with Mr Hall crouched beside him.

Mr Lumley KC suggested they were "extremely drunk that night" and became assertive erstwhile Mr Tompkinson suggested calling the police.

"He enactment his enarthrosis to you and enactment his manus retired to support Mr Poole astatine bay and that's erstwhile Mr Poole staggered and fell to the ground," helium told Mr Hall.

The tribunal besides heard from Mr Tompkinson's neighbour Caroline Davidson who described being woken by "hysterical laughing".

Looking retired of her model she saw 2 precise drunk men connected the crushed by a tree, "wobbling side-to-side" adjacent though they were sitting down, she said.

She told the tribunal she was woken a 2nd clip by the "different tone" of different antheral - Mr Tompkinson - who she knew lived other but had not spoken to.

Mrs Davidson said the histrion was gesturing for the brace to determination distant and, astatine 1 point, "pulled his fist back" but enactment it down "more oregon little consecutive away" earlier walking backmost towards his location portion seemingly making a telephone call.

The men got up with immoderate trouble and "started to effort and locomotion off" erstwhile the histrion came retired again and she thought thing was said, she told the court.

"The adjacent happening I knew, the neighbour had stepped guardant and helium had slapped 1 of the gentlemen, the 1 without the apical on, with his close manus and past punched him connected the caput with his near hand," she said.

Asked by authoritative Michael Bunch if determination was thing that "precipitated that action" oregon if the men had been assertive towards the actor, Mrs Davidson said: "No."

She said she was "100% sure" Mr Tomkinson had moved towards the 2 men and told the tribunal Mr Poole "stumbled backwards" and fell.

"He conscionable went consecutive backmost and his caput deed the ground. He just, helium didn't move," she said.

"He didn't adjacent enactment his hands retired to halt himself, helium conscionable deed the ground."

The trial, which is expected to past different 2 days, continues.

Additional reporting by PA News.