Key facts
- MP Patrick Spencer denies two counts of sexual assault at the Groucho Club in August 2023.
- He claims any touching of a woman's breast was accidental, not intentional.
- CCTV footage shows Spencer making a gesture interpreted by prosecutors as a "fist pump in celebration."
- Spencer stated the gesture was due to embarrassment after being pushed away.
- He described his behavior that night as "wildly misjudged" and "inappropriate."
- Spencer pleaded not guilty and was bailed ahead of a trial preparation hearing.
Conservative MP Patrick Spencer has denied sexually assaulting two women at London's exclusive Groucho Club in August 2023. The 38-year-old MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault at Westminster Magistrates' Court, where he appeared wearing a blue suit, green tie, and thick-rimmed black glasses.
Spencer is accused of "cupping" the breasts of two women during a night out. He conceded that his hands touched the breasts of one woman but insisted it was accidental, occurring when he was aiming for her waist. He denied touching the breasts of the second woman at all.
CCTV footage from the club shows Spencer raising his arm with a clenched fist after the second alleged assault. Prosecutor Polly Dyer suggested this gesture could be interpreted as a "fist pump in celebration." However, Spencer disagreed, calling it an "interpretation" and not his own. He argued the gesture was a reaction to embarrassment and surprise after one of the women pushed his arms away.
In a police interview, Spencer described his actions as a "moment of complete stupidity" and offered an apology. In court, he described himself as "overfriendly, overzealous, and overenthusiastic" that night but maintained he did not try to "cop a feel." He also denied asking one woman "lurid" questions about her marriage.
Spencer testified that he had consumed red wine with his father, Lord Michael Spencer, earlier that day, followed by beers at a rugby match, a glass of wine with dinner, and two negroni cocktails at the Groucho Club. The alleged victims described Spencer as "insistent" on having a drink with them and one called him a "pest."
Spencer's wife, Anna, gave evidence, describing him as "kind, gentle, and compassionate" and a good parent. She acknowledged he "doesn't always know how to react in the moment" and can "sometimes say the wrong thing," but insisted she had never seen him behave inappropriately. Spencer was suspended as a Conservative MP after being charged.
He was bailed ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing at Southwark Crown Court scheduled for July 14.