Spencer acquitted of sexual assault as Conservative Party restores whip

Conservative MP Patrick Spencer has been found not guilty of two counts of sexual assault following a trial at Southwark Crown Court. The jury cleared Spencer after seven hours of deliberation regarding an incident at the Groucho Club in London in August 2023, where he was accused of grabbing two women from behind and touching their breasts.

Spencer, the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, maintained that he intended only to give the women a hug and that any contact was unintentional. He told the court that a gesture made after one woman pushed him away was a reaction of being mortified by the rejection, rather than a celebratory act. Spencer broke down in tears in court and later stated, “Our shared nightmare is now over,” maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings.

The Metropolitan Police acknowledged an initial failure in the investigation, which was later reviewed and reopened. Commander Andy Day apologised to the two women for the initial investigation falling below expected standards. The officer involved was investigated by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards, but no disciplinary proceedings were brought.

Following the verdict, the Conservative Party restored the whip to Spencer. Spencer, whose father is billionaire donor Michael Spencer, testified that he consumed red wine, beer, and negroni cocktails on the day of the incident and claimed he could not recall the specific events. He disputed whether the CCTV footage showed sexual assaults, insisting he would not touch a woman’s breasts without consent.

The two complainants told jurors they were shocked by the incident, with one stating she froze when her breasts were touched. Despite Spencer’s police interview where he apologised for grabbing the women and conceded the behaviour was not acceptable, the jury ultimately found him not guilty of the charges.