MP Patrick Spencer broke down in tears as a jury found him not guilty of sexually assaulting two women at London's Groucho Club. The 38-year-old Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, elected in 2024, had been accused of touching the breasts of two women during a night out in August 2023.
Incident at the Groucho Club
The incident occurred on August 12, 2023, before Spencer was elected to Parliament. CCTV footage showed him coming up behind two women and putting his arms around them at the private members' club. He was accused of 'cupping' the breasts of both women before 'fist pumping' towards his friends.
Spencer told the court he had consumed red wine with his father at lunch, beers at Twickenham while watching an England rugby match, and wine and negroni cocktails at the club. He said he cannot recall the incidents but insisted he would not have pestered the women to have a drink or asked personal questions about one's marriage.
Defense and Verdict
In his police interview, Spencer apologized for grabbing the women from behind, calling it a 'moment of complete stupidity' and conceding it was 'not acceptable in this day and age.' However, at trial at Southwark Crown Court, he insisted he had not touched one woman's breasts and that contact with the other was accidental. He said the gesture after the second woman pushed him away was due to being 'mortified' that she rejected his hug, not celebrating groping her.
The jury deliberated for just over seven hours before finding him not guilty of two counts of sexual assault. Spencer covered his face with shaking hands as the verdicts were delivered and broke down in tears before embracing his wife Anna in court.
Police Investigation Failures
The Metropolitan Police initially failed to properly investigate the allegations. A police officer did not take statements from the women or pursue the case. After a complaint, the Met reviewed the investigation in early 2025, assigning a new detective who gathered statements and questioned the MP. Charges were authorized by the Crown Prosecution Service within three months.
Met Police Commander Andy Day said: 'We acknowledge that this investigation initially fell below the high standards we would expect, and we have apologised to the two women who made reports. Following concerns around the pace of the investigation, it was reviewed in March 2025 and following leadership by a new investigation team, charges were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service within three months. We conducted a further wider review to understand any steps which were missed in the initial investigation which is reflected the Met’s new victim-centred sexual offences policy. Our priority remains tackling violence against women and girls, so women in London can have full confidence in the Met to investigate reports thoroughly and quickly.'
The officer who failed to take witness statements was investigated by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards but no disciplinary proceedings were brought.
Political and Personal Impact
Spencer, the son of billionaire Conservative donor Lord Michael Spencer, lost the Tory whip after being charged and sat as an independent in Parliament while awaiting trial. In court, his wife Anna gave evidence in his defense, praising his parenting skills and describing him as a 'very nice man.' Spencer broke down in tears as she testified.
The women told jurors they were left 'shocked' after being grabbed, and one said she 'froze' when her breasts were touched. Spencer called himself 'overfriendly' with a 'gregarious' personality but denied trying to 'cop a feel.' He said he was 'surprised' to be ejected from the club, assuming it was for 'being loud, clottish, knocked over someone’s glass or I had bumped into somebody.'
