MP had 'moment of complete stupidity', trial hears

An MP accused of sexually assaulting two women at London's Groucho Club called it a "moment of complete stupidity" after being confronted with CCTV of his actions, a court has heard.

Patrick Spencer, 38, was questioned by the Metropolitan Police over complaints that he had grabbed the women from behind and groped their breasts in August 2023.

The MP, who lives in Suffolk and represents the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency, insisted he had not intentionally touched their breasts and denied trying to "cop a feel".

He is on trial at Southwark Crown Court and denies two counts of sexual assault.

When faced with CCTV of the incidents during the interview with police, 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."

In interview, the politician called himself "overfriendly" with a "gregarious" personality, and conceded to police that his actions "look leery".

More stories from Suffolk:

• Village terror plot: What we know so far
• Why have we seen more water pipes burst recently?
• RAF Barnham asylum plan could be stalled by birds

"Yeah, it looks terrible," he told the interviewing officer, but Spencer denied any sexual intent and said he "misinterpreted" how he could behave with the women.

"I can only imagine how upsetting it clearly was and is," he said, referring to the evidence of the women.

"It's a moment of complete stupidity on my behalf."

He added: "I'm profoundly sorry to the two women and to anyone involved in this."

One of the alleged victims told jurors on Tuesday that she "froze" after feeling her breasts being touched, while the other said she was left in shock.

The incidents happened on 12 August 2023, when Spencer had been admitted to the Groucho Club as a guest for a night out with friends.

After one of the alleged assaults, Spencer is seen making a hand gesture with his fist in the direction of his group of friends.

In police interview, he struggled to explain the gesture, conceding: "I suppose you could look at it as a sort of boorish, laddish hand movement."

When starting his evidence in court, prosecutor Polly Dyer suggested to Spencer the gesture could be seen as "like a fist pump in celebration", but the MP disagreed.

"It's an interpretation, but it's not my interpretation," he said.

He argued it happened when the woman pushed his arms away and he was "embarrassed and surprised".

"It's embarrassing – someone moving away from you can be interpreted as embarrassing," he told the court.

Spencer added: "Something has happened, and I gesticulate a lot of the time anyway. I think that's what happened.

"My arms have just been thrown down and thrown away.

"I have clearly looked at them [his friends] to see if they have seen this mortifying moment."

Spencer told jurors that on the day of the incident he had lunch with his father, the billionaire Conservative donor Lord Michael Spencer, before watching England play Wales at rugby at Twickenham.

He told the court he drank wine at lunch and beers at the rugby, and assessed himself as "pissed".

"When I walked into the Groucho, I was fine, in high spirits, merry, but not out of control," he said.

His barrister Eleanor Laws KC asked him: "Did you deliberately place your hands on either woman? Did you intend to sexual assault anyone?"

Spencer answered "no" to both questions.

He also emphatically denied asking one of the women "lurid" questions about her marriage.

The jury heard how he believed his behaviour had been "wildly misjudged" and said it was "ultimately inappropriate to hug someone in the way, in that context".

He told the court he took a rickshaw home after being ejected from the club, but did not know at the time why he had been told to leave.

"It was bizarre, surprising," he said.

"I assumed I was being loud, clottish, knocked over someone's glass or had bumped into somebody – that's what I quickly assumed."

He said he returned to the Groucho the following week for a 70th birthday celebration for his aunt, and collected the jacket he had left behind on the night he was ejected.

Spencer broke down in tears in the dock later in the day when his wife Anna gave evidence.

She described him as "kind, gentle and compassionate", and praised his parenting of their two children.

"He doesn't always know how to react in the moment, and he doesn't always read a room perfectly", she said.

"Patrick is naturally quite awkward, but very intelligent and he has done an amazing job with learning social situations.

"I believe what comes across first to most people are Patrick's good qualities.

"If you don't know him, I can understand how some of his behaviour, some of the things he says, and some facial expressions, are a little odd.

"He just sometimes says the wrong thing."

Anna called her husband an extrovert and "fun", and insisted that he has many female friends and she has never seen him behaving inappropriately or sexually.

Spencer was elected a Conservative MP in July 2024 and the party removed the whip in 2025, which means he now sits an Independent MP.

The trial continues.

Do you have a story suggestion for Suffolk? Contact us below.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.