MP Patrick Spencer Acquitted of Sexual Assault Charges
Jury clears Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP after trial concerning incidents at exclusive London club.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Sarah Connor
Member of Parliament Patrick Spencer, representing Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting two women following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
The alleged assaults occurred during a night out at London's exclusive Groucho Club, bringing the private members' establishment into public discussion.
Spencer consistently stated he did not touch the breasts of one woman; he maintained any contact with the other was entirely accidental and unintentional.
The prosecution accused Spencer of 'cupping' the breasts of both women before making a distinct 'fist pumping' gesture towards his friends.
Spencer claimed the gesture, made after the second woman pushed him away, stemmed from her rejection of his hug, not from celebrating an assault.
Yeah, it looks terrible.
He described himself to the court as 'overfriendly' with a 'gregarious' personality, conceding to police during the initial investigation, 'Yeah, it looks terrible.'
Furthermore, he maintained he would never touch a woman’s breasts without consent and disputed the CCTV footage showed two sexual assaults.
Spencer called his actions a 'moment of complete stupidity' but denied any attempt to 'cop a feel,' offering a direct counter to the prosecution's narrative.
The complainants told jurors Spencer grabbed them; one woman stated her breasts were touched.
Beyond these accounts, Spencer insisted he would not have pestered the two women for a drink or asked personal questions about one woman's marriage, challenging the complainants' narratives.
He stated he was ejected from the members' club, assuming it was for 'being loud, clottish, knocked over someone’s glass or I had bumped into somebody.'
This case unfolds against a backdrop of increased scrutiny on the conduct of public figures, particularly within the Houses of Parliament, where several high-profile allegations have emerged in recent years.
The verdict arrives as the Metropolitan Police acknowledged their initial investigation into the allegations fell below expected standards.
The force issued an apology to the complainants for the shortcomings in the initial handling of the case, a move that shows ongoing efforts to reform police procedures.
A review of the investigation in March 2025 led to charges being authorized within three months, bringing the case to trial after an initial delay.
The outcome of this trial influences discussions around accountability and due process for elected officials.
It also focuses on the internal disciplinary mechanisms within political parties and the broader expectations placed upon those in public service.
The legal proceedings brought the private conduct of a public servant into sharp relief, prompting conversations about personal boundaries and professional responsibilities.
This acquittal closes a chapter for Patrick Spencer, but the broader implications for parliamentary conduct and police investigative standards will continue to be debated.