Actor Stephen Tompkinson is appearing in court charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm.
The 56-year-old, best known for starring as Inspector Alan Banks in ITV crime series DCI Banks, is due to appear at Newcastle Crown Court.
The actor, who lives in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, appeared at a hearing before magistrates in the city last month, when he denied the offence, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
![Stephen Tompkinson in 2018](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/0637c25654405d5470249c820771d712Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjYyNTYxNTIw/2.35903515.jpg?w=640)
Tompkinson became a household name after starring as Father Peter Clifford in 1996’s Ballykissangel.
In the same year, he appeared as Phil in hit film Brassed Off.
Other notable TV credits include Drop The Dead Donkey, Wild At Heart, Minder, New Tricks, Grafters and Ted And Alice.
He was in DCI Banks for six years until the show was axed in 2016.
Later this year, Tompkinson, who recently starred as Frank Bryant in a stage adaptation of Educating Rita, is due to feature in ITV drama The Long Shadow about Yorkshire ripper Peter Sutcliffe.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article