Stephen Tompkinson today (Thursday May 11) left court with his good name intact after being cleared of assaulting a drunken man in the street outside his home.

The jury in the case of the Stockton-born actor took just under an hour to return a verdict of not guilty to the charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm, on the fifth day of the trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

They had retired to consider a verdict in mid-afternoon, on Wednesday, but returned to court to consider deliberations today.

Following the verdict, trial Judge, the Recorder of Newcastle, Judge Paul Sloan, thanked the jury and, in the absence of any applications by defence counsel Nicholas Lumley KC, told Mr Tompkinson he could be released from the dock.

Read more: Jury in Stephen Tompkinson GBH trial retires to consider verdict

It brought the end of a near two-year hiatus to the career of 57-year-old actor, who put his work commitments on hold until the conclusion of the case.

The charge arose from a confrontation with two drunken men on the pavement outside the drive way of Mr Tompkinson’s Whitley Bay home, at 5.30am on Sunday May 9, 2021.

Both the complainant, Karl Poole, and his friend, Andrew Hall, had been drinking through the early hours on May 30, after watching the Champions’ League football final, between Chelsea and Manchester City, on television the previous evening.

In a ‘catch-up’. as restrictions under Covid were being gradually eased, they decided to go to the sea front to paddle in the sea to view the sun rise.

But on their return journey staggering back to Mr Hall’s home drinking from a bottle of Jagermeister, Mr Poole was, by then, only wearing his boxer shorts and socks.

He appeared to be struggling to stay on his feet and both were said to have sat down against a tree, outside Mr Tompkinson’s home.

The actor, “an early riser”, went out wearing only his pyjamas and a dressing gown, to ask the pair to move on as he was worried his partner and her young child would be disturbed in the nearby house.

Read more: Stephen Tompkinson tells court it would be ‘career suicide’ to assault someone

On seeing the condition of the men, however, Mr Tompkinson rang the police in the hope they would be safely removed from the area.

It was accepted was accepted by all parties in the case that, in a brief coming together with Mr Tompkinson, the complainant, Karl Poole, stumbled backwards and, in an unbroken fall, banged his head on the ground, rendering him unconscious.

He suffered a double skull fracture and traumatic brain injury, for which the court heard he has since made a criminal injuries compensation application.

Mr Poole told the court, in evidence, that he has received a recent offer, but, at that stage had not decided whether or not to accept it.

The defendant told the court he merely thrust out his hand with an open palm to prevent Mr Poole advancing towards him, during the short, heated exchange, and following contact with his face, Mr Poole stumbled and fell.

It was the prosecution’s case, backed by the evidence of a neighbour looking from her window 30-metres down the street, that Mr Tompkinson first slapped and then punched Mr Poole.

Mr Tompkinson said she must have mistaken him putting his hand out to show Mr Poole and his friend, Andrew Hall, that he was ringing for the police, for a punch, from the distance the witness was observing from during the early hours’ incident.

After Mr Poole was taken to hospital, where he remained for several days, Mr Tompkinson went back into his house.

Read next:

* Stockton's Stephen Tompkinson says assault would be 'career suicide'

* Stephen Tompkinson case: Man left unconscious outside Whitley Bay home

* Actor Stephen Tompkinson going on trial accused of inflicting GBH

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But, after taking the statement of the neighbour, the only independent eye witness, Mr Tompkinson was arrested at his home at 12.51pm that day.

He was subsequently charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm, which he denied at an early hearing during proceedings, claiming self-defence, an account he maintained through his five-day trial.

Following today’s verdict Mr Tompkinson, who has been on bail throughout proceedings, left court, with his lawyer and told waiting reporters: “I just want to go home.”