How DCI Banks star Stephen Tompkinson’s acting profession experienced during his trial

Stephen Tompkinson is well known for a lengthy and prestigious performing job, with Tv hits including DCI Financial institutions, Ballykissangel and Wild at Coronary heart. 

But all this would be place ‘on hold’ for just about two many years as he fought a charge of grievous bodily harm, which he was lastly cleared of these days. 

Supplying proof, Mr Tompkinson in depth the crippling effect of the scenario on his professional existence, with roles he already had taken absent from him and any offers drying up. 

Asked by his law firm if he needed this acting operate, the 57-calendar year-aged replied ‘yes, absolutely’ – suggesting the demo has experienced a detrimental influence on his funds. 

Mr Tompkinson had been linked with his Educating Rita co-star, Jessica Johnson, who he was pictured with in 2019. Formerly he had a lengthy-term girlfriend, Elaine Youthful, pursuing divorces from two ex wives, Nicci Taylor – the mother of his daughter Daisy – and Celia Anastasia. 

Stephen Tompkinson has experienced a range of main television roles, including actively playing DCI Alan Banking companies

Mr Tompkinson with Niall Tobin in Ballykissangel. The actor performed a British priest adjusting to everyday living in an Irish village 

Tompkinson is pictured in 2019 with his lover and Educating Rita co-star, Jessica Johnson

Mr Tompkinson was accused of punching Karl Poole in the head just after obtaining him and a good friend noisily drinking at the bottom of his driveway in the early hours of May possibly 30, 2021. 

But the actor advised jurors he only pushed Mr Poole absent in self-defence and the contact ‘wasn’t sufficient to knock a sober guy off his feet’. 

He let out a sigh of relief but showed no emotion as the jury at Newcastle Crown Court docket returned a not responsible verdict today. 

Mr Tompkinson’s defence drew on his showbiz job at moments in the demo, describing him as ‘acting royalty.’

His barrister, Nicholas Lumley, KC, said that in the market ‘there may possibly be hellraisers who wear their standing as some type of badge of honour and trade on it’ but his customer had constantly been a real expert.

Comic Andy Hamilton, a writer on Fall the Lifeless Donkey comedy sequence which launched his job, appeared in man or woman to testify to his fantastic character.

He said: ‘That display was a genuine tension cooker as we had quite tight deadlines since we place a lot of topical jokes into the script.

‘Stephen was normally the calmest member of the manufacturing. We did a full series when he was sick suffering the following results of malaria which was fairly debilitating.

‘So he experienced every justification in getting warm under the collar but he was quite neat headed, really composed, quite calm.

‘I have under no circumstances see him drop his temper, I are not able to don’t forget him remaining intense with everyone.

‘I have noticed him be the peacemaker when men and women have been upset and have viewed him action in to calm factors down.’

Before going out with Ms Johnson he had a extensive-expression girlfriend, Elaine Youthful

The actor pictured with his ex-wife Nicci Taylor in 2000, she’s the mom of his daughter Daisy

Offering proof, Mr Tompkinson specific the crippling effect of the circumstance on his professional life, with roles he already experienced taken away from him and any gives drying up. He’s found on Wild At Heart 

Detective exhibit DCI Financial institutions returned for a fourth series and has been a strike in America 

Comedian Andy Hamilton, a author on Drop the Useless Donkey comedy series, supported Tompkinson

The street exactly where the incident transpired in May perhaps 2021

He additional: ‘Stephen will work rather significantly completely and one particular of the explanations for that is that individuals know he is good beneath tension.’

Mr Tompkinson told the court docket that all through his long career as an actor he experienced labored in numerous ‘stressful situations’ but had by no means assaulted anyone.

He recalled tips given by his late father when Ballykissangel produced him a house identify to ‘show respect’ as he experienced successfully been invited into people’s residing rooms. 

And he mentioned the practice of not creating proper get hold of in battle scenes experienced been ‘in-bred’ and he was sure only his palm built call with Mr Poole and with very little force as a kind of self-defence. 

Mr Tompkinson explained to the courtroom he acquired his big crack of a 7-month contract with the BBC just after winning a best pupil award when ending drama university in 1987.

His first massive strike was in the Television set comedy series Drop the Useless Donkey and the Television series Ballykissangel was watched by 15 million viewers, he stated.

Other hits included Wild at Heart and DCI Banking institutions and he also starred in the film Brassed Off.

In 1984, he gained the 1994 British Comedy Award for Very best Tv Comedy Actor. 

 A picture released by prosecutors of Mr Tompkinson shortly soon after his arrest in 2021. This photo was shown to the jury through the trial  

Other images present the actor keeping his two arms outstretched. 1 is bruised. These pictures had been shown to the jury in the course of the trial 

The photos have been produced by the Crown Prosecution Services

Mr Lumley invoked his client’s glittering vocation in his closing speech, asking: ‘What experienced he to obtain from executing this vindictively? He had all the things to eliminate. 

‘He has served a profession he enjoys, from carefully bewildered priest of the 1990s to the existing day, an actor sought out for the reason that of his calmness, that view of him went solely unchallenged, and but the prosecution seeks to say now, he will have to have shed his mood.

‘What probable motive would he have to toss his reputation? He has in no way conducted himself in the way the prosecution alleges in 57 yrs. 

‘He is acting royalty. We advise no matter what he did, he did in self defence, no much more than any of us would have performed.

‘They had been the unintended outcomes of a rapid coming together of a sober and a drunk and that does not make Stephen Tompkinson a prison.

‘It is what will make him harmless.’

The jury agreed – clearing him of all expenses. 

Questioned for his response as he was leaving courtroom, Mr Tompkinson informed reporters: ‘I just want to go residence.’ 

Soon after the verdict, a upset sigh could be heard from the general public gallery the place complainant Karl Poole (pictured outside courtroom just after the trial) was sitting