Actor Stephen Tompkinson is accused of angrily attacking one of two drunken men he complained were making a noise outside his home, causing him traumatic brain injury, a court heard today (Wednesday, May 3).

The, now, 57-year-old Stockton-born actor came out of his home in Whitley Bay to remonstrate with the two men, accusing them of disturbing his partner and child who were trying to sleep, between 5.30 and 6am, on the morning of Sunday, May 30, in 2021.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that as he stood on the driveway of his home, the two men, one of whom was struggling to keep his feet, were on the footpath outside.

The Northern Echo: Stephen Tompkinson's court arrival in Newcastle

The defendant is then said to have taken a bottle of Jagermeister from which they had been drinking, from one of the men, as he told them to get on their way.

Read more: Actor Stephen Tompkinson going on trial accused of inflicting GBH

A neighbour, also disturbed by the noise, looked out and saw the defendant approaching one of the men, who was described as, “wobbling from side to side”, and she said he (Tompkinson) first struck him with his right hand, and then punched him with his left hand, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground, unconscious.

She asked her husband to ring the emergency services and an ambulance took the unconscious man to hospital, initially unaware of the severity of his injuries.

He was later found to have suffered a number of fractures to the skull, causing, “significant traumatic brain injuries”.

When the extent of his injuries became obvious, police, having taken the independent witness’s statement, returned to the defendant’s home and arrested him.

In a later interview, he said he asked the two men to move on as they were disturbing his partner and child.

He claimed he merely asked them to “move on” and one of the pair then approached him aggressively, so he put up his hand to prevent him getting nearer and to push him away.

Having looked to check the whereabouts of the other man, Tompkinson said he then looked back to see the man he pushed away lying on the ground.

Mr Bunch said the defendant denied having struck him aggressively.

Read more: Actor Stephen Tompkinson court hearing for alleged Whitley Bay assault

“The Crown would say his claim of aggressive behaviour on the part of the two men is not supported by any evidence.”

He said what the prosecution would say, is that the defendant’s account is, “nothing more than a direct attempt to deflect the blame on others for his wholly unjustified aggressive actions towards (the victim).”

Mr Bunch said the prosecution account would make him guilty of the offence he faces.

He told the jury that the defendant had rung police to complain about the noise made by the two men, and between then and the call from the neighbour, to report a man lying unconscious, is when the incident took place.

“What took place between those two calls is what you will have to decide.”

Earlier, as the jury was being empanelled, prior to being sworn in, the trial judge, The Recorder of Newcastle, Judge Paul Sloan, told them that the defendant, is, "a well-known actor."

Judge Sloan then told the jurors: “Many, if not all of you, will have seen him or will know of him.

“That in itself does not debar you from serving on the jury.”

But he said if any of them has “an association” with him, directly or indirectly, either as a friend or colleague, then they should declare it, prior to being sworn.

None of the potential jury panel did and all were then sworn in.

They were told that the defendant denies a charge of unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on the alleged victim, on May 30, 2021.

Judge Sloan said it is hoped that the jury would be able to retire to consider its verdict by the middle of next week.

He told them to judge the case solely on the evidence they hear in the court room and warned them not to discuss it with anyone outside the court.

Judge Sloan said “inevitably” there will be great media interest in the case, but he asked jurors to base their verdict purely on the evidence outlined in court and not to base it on anything they may read or hear in the media.

Mr Tompkinson became a household name after starring as Father Peter Clifford in 1996’s Ballykissangel, and in the same year appeared in hit film Brassed Off.

Read next:

* Actor Stephen Tompkinson will claim self-defence at GBH trial, court told

* Stockton's Stephen Tompkinson denies GBH after incident in Whitley Bay

* DCI Banks star Stephen Tompkinson of Whitley Bay charged with inflicting GBH

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Other notable TV credits include Drop The Dead Donkey, Wild At Heart, Minder, New Tricks, Grafters and Ted And Alice.

He also appeared in ITV’s DCI Banks for six years until the show was axed in 2016, and starred in a 2021 stage adaptation of Educating Rita.

The trial continues.