DCI Banks star Stephen Tompkinson accused of beating man and fracturing skull

The actor Stephen Tompkinson has been accused of beating a father so badly he was left with a double skull fracture.

DCI Banks and Wild at Heart star Tompkinson, 56, is to stand trial in a crown court accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Tompkinson has denied the charge. The Independent has contacted his representatives for further comment.

It has been alleged that the incident followed a late evening altercation in May 2021 outside the defendant’s home of the time in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside. The victim was allegedly so severely injured that he was unable to remember much of the incident and was left unable to work.

A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service told The Independent: “Stephen Tompkinson, aged 56, of Beech Grove, Whitley Bay, appeared before Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 10 August to face a single charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and will next appear at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday 7 September.”

The Independent has also contacted North Tyneside police for comment.

The actor has appeared in TV series such as The Split, The Bay, Sherwood and Ballykissangel.

He is best known for playing the lead role in the ITV series DCI Banks from 2010 to 2016.

Tompkinson is set to star in an ITV drama, The Long Shadow, about the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, later this year.