Patrick Spencer fell to his knees in the dock at Southwark Crown Court, sobbing, as the jury returned its verdict: not guilty on two counts of sexual assault. The 38-year-old MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich had been accused of touching the breasts of two women at London's Groucho Club in August 2023, less than a year before he was elected.
The jury of eight men and four women took seven hours and six minutes to deliberate. As the verdicts were read, Spencer covered his face with shaking hands, then broke down and embraced his wife, Anna, in court.
“MP Patrick Spencer cleared of sexually assaulting two women at Groucho Club after jury deliberation.”
The trial heard Spencer had been on a night out with friends at the private members’ club, drinking red wine with his father at lunch, beers at Twickenham watching an England rugby match, and then wine and negroni cocktails at the club. CCTV showed him staggering through the venue, and coming up behind two women he did not know, putting his arms around them. Prosecutors said he “cupped” their breasts before “fist pumping” towards friends.
One woman told the jury she “froze”; the other said she was “mortified”. But Spencer insisted he could not recall the incidents. He said he would never touch a woman’s breasts without consent, and claimed contact with one woman was accidental and with the other unintentional. In his police interview, he called it a “moment of complete stupidity” and conceded: “Yeah, it looks terrible.” But in court he denied trying to “cop a feel”.
After the verdict, Spencer told reporters: “I have always maintained my innocence, and today’s not guilty verdict draws a very long and challenging period in my life to a close.” He thanked the jury, his legal team, and “most importantly, my incredible wife, children, family, friends and colleagues”.
Spencer was elected as a Conservative in July 2024, but the party removed the whip after he was charged. After the verdict, the Conservatives restored the whip and lifted his suspension. “For the time being, I’m looking forward to getting home to see my kids and getting back to work representing my constituents,” Spencer said.
