Tory MP Patrick Spencer, 38, apologised for a 'moment of complete stupidity' after being shown CCTV footage of him allegedly sexually assaulting two women at London's Groucho Club, a court heard. The MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, elected in 2024, is on trial for two counts of sexual assault.
Alleged Incidents at Groucho Club
The incidents occurred on August 12, 2023, when Spencer was a guest at the private members' club in Soho. He is accused of grabbing two women from behind and groping their breasts. Spencer denies intentionally touching their breasts or trying to 'cop a feel'.
In a police interview, Spencer described himself as 'overfriendly' with a 'gregarious' personality and conceded his actions 'look leery'. He said: 'Yeah, it looks terrible,' but denied any sexual intent, claiming he 'misinterpreted' how he could behave with the women.
Apology and Explanation
Faced with the CCTV evidence, Spencer said: 'I don't think it's appropriate to approach someone from behind, I don't think it's appropriate to put my hands on someone unless you have a very close relationship with them. I don't think it's acceptable in this day and age.' He added: 'It's a moment of complete stupidity on my behalf. I'm profoundly sorry to the two women and to anyone involved in this.'
One alleged victim told jurors she 'froze' after feeling her breasts touched, while the other said she was left in shock. After one alleged assault, Spencer was seen making a fist gesture towards his friends, which he struggled to explain, calling it 'a sort of boorish, laddish hand movement'.
Court Testimony
Starting his evidence, Spencer told jurors he had lunch with his father, billionaire Conservative donor Lord Michael Spencer, before watching England play Wales at rugby at Twickenham. His barrister, Eleanor Laws KC, asked: 'Did you deliberately place your hands on either woman? Did you intend to sexual assault anyone?' Spencer answered 'no' to both.
He said he drank wine at lunch and beers at the rugby, describing himself as 'pissed' but 'not out of control'. He was ejected from the club but said he assumed it was because he was 'loud, clottish, knocked over someone's glass or had bumped into somebody'. He returned the following week for his aunt's 70th birthday to collect his jacket.
The trial continues at Southwark Crown Court. Spencer, who lives in Suffolk, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault.
