The 57-year-old DCI Banks actor assaulted a man who had a double skull fracture after hitting the concrete.
Stephen Tompkinson was acquitted of assaulting a drunken man outside his home.
The 57-year-old DCI Banks actor was accused of punching Karl Poole in the head after discovering him and a friend drinking at the bottom of his driveway in the early hours of 30 May 2021.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Mr. Poole fell and shattered his skull when his head met the pavement.
Tompkinson denied punching Mr. Poole and stated he was “not responsible” for his double skull fracture.
The actor, who was residing with his partner and her seven-year-old son at the time, stated that he left his residence in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, at approximately 5:30 a.m. after hearing “strange noises.”
Jurors heard Tompkinson called 999 after seeing the pair repeatedly stand and fall while drinking Jagermeister.
Tompkinson informed the men he was contacting while waiting to be connected.
He told the court that two “extremely intoxicated” males took offence to his concerns about their presence and approached him.
He stated that he extended his hand to block Mr. Poole’s path.
Tompkinson stated, “I did not intend to injure him. Rather, I wished to persuade him to reconsider his decision to approach me and enter my property.”
He added that when he initially spotted the men it was a “horrible sight” and he had been concerned about glass breaking in an area where his partner’s child plays.
In his defence, the Ballykissangel player said he stretched his hand to block Mr. Poole’s approach and hit his face. But the impact “was not sufficient to knock a sober man off his feet.”
He said it would be “career suicide” to do something as preposterous as assault someone”.
Prosecutors asserted that Tompkinson “lost control” and “attacked” Mr. Poole out of “disgust” for his conduct.
Caroline Davidson, who was observing from her bedroom window, testified in court that she witnessed Tompkinson slap and punch Mr. Poole, causing him to falter and fall backward, striking his head on the ground.
Tompkinson stated that he could not have punched Mr. Poole because he was clutching his phone.
After approximately two hours of deliberation on Thursday, a jury found him not guilty of causing great bodily injury.
After being found not guilty, Tompkinson thanked the jury as they exited the courtroom.
When asked for his reaction as he left court, Tompkinson responded, “I just want to go home.”
He told the court during his trial that he has lost acting work since being charged and any association with him in the industry was “on hold” while the legal proceedings were hanging over him.
