Stephen Tompkinson breaks silence on trial after not guilty verdict

Stephen Tompkinson has broken his silence on his grievous bodily harm trial, and believes it should've been "investigated a lot sooner".

The 57-year-old actor was found not guilty of causing GBH last week after he was accused of punching a drunken man outside his home in Whitley Bay, north-east England, in May 2021.

Karl Poole had alleged that Stephen's actions caused him to fall and fracture his skull, which the 'DCI Banks' star denied.

Stephen has now told how he thought it could've been "dealt with there and then" rather than two years later.

Speaking on 'Lorraine', he said: "I thought myself it could’ve been investigated a lot sooner and dealt with there and then, rather than waiting two years."

During his conversation with host Lorraine Kelly on Friday (19.05.23), Stephen admitted the case "had to be answered", but he also questioned whether it was worth bringing after deliberations took "less than an hour".

When asked how long it took to throw out his case, he said: "Less than an hour. You have to wonder, was it worth bringing it in in the first place.

"They were trying to prove a punch that never happened, there was no physical evidence on my hand or the guy’s face, he was just incredibly drunk and he fell."

When the verdict was announced at Newcastle Crown Court last week, he nodded but showed no visible emotion.

As he left the court, he told reporters at the time: "I just want to go home."

During the trial, the star insisted he wasn't responsible for Poole's injuries.

He said: "I didn't apply any excessive force that would have caused any sober person to fall over ... I am not responsible for Karl Poole's double skull fracture.

"He went off due to his own instability. He fell in a completely different direction."