MP Patrick Spencer wept and embraced wife after jury acquitted him of Groucho Club assaults

A Tory MP accused of assaulting two women at London’s exclusive Groucho Club wept and then embraced his wife after he was cleared of both charges today (fri).

Patrick Spencer, 38, who described himself as ‘tactile and huggy’, insisted it was not his intention to touch the women inappropriately.

The married father-of-two was elected as the Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich in the 2024 general election with a majority of 4,290.

The jury at Southwark Crown Court cleared him of two counts of sexually assault on 12 August 2023 after deliberating for seven hours and six minutes.

Spencer removed his glasses and clasped his hands in prayer before he was acquitted by the jury of eight men and four women.

As the foreman read the not guilty verdicts, Spencer collapsed into his seat in the dock while his wife Anna Spencer burst into tears in the public gallery.

Mr Justice Garnham told him: ‘The jury have found you not guilty on both counts. You are free to go.’

The husband and wife embraced each other as Spencer was released.

Following his arrest in March 2025 the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP said he ‘hugged lots of people that night’

He accepted being ‘over friendly’ when he hugged two women at the club from behind and that he may have touched one of the women’s breasts inadvertently.

Following his arrest in March 2025 the MP said he ‘hugged lots of people that night’ and embraced the two complainants from behind, the first around the waist and second by putting his hands on her hips.

Spencer described his behaviour as ‘not appropriate in this day and age’ but said it was not his intent to touch the women sexually.

Giving evidence Anna Spencer described her husband ‘kind’ and ‘gentle’ and had never looked at another woman or made a sexual remark.

She said: ‘He’s just a really nice man. I come from a generation of women who have lived in London and walked home with their keys in their hand and changed outfits and I chose to marry him because he’s not that man.’

Spencer denied having any sexual intention when he touched the women.

Giving evidence he said he has never been unfaithful to his wife and never been sexually inappropriate or made anyone feel uncomfortable.

He said: ’When I walked into the Groucho I was fine- in high spirits, merry- not out of control.’

He said the CCTV showed he was ‘clearly stumbling’ but said he could not remember being badly effected by alcohol.

He said the following morning he did not remember being asked to leave but he recalled it over the following days.

The MP said this had never happened to him before and he found it ‘bizarre’ and ‘surprising’.

Asked why he thought he had been asked to leave, he said: ‘I just assumed I was being loud or clottish or I’d knocked over someone’s glass or bumped into somebody.’

Spencer said he did not remember buying drinks for the two women but it was possible.

He said he would not have insisted they take a drink from him.

Spencer said he did not remember asking one of the women about her marriage.

After being shown the CCTV footage again, Spencer said it showed him hugging a male friend from behind before doing the same to the first woman.

He said he did not touch her breasts.

Shown a clip of the alleged assault on the second woman, Spencer said: ‘It looks like [my hand] made contact with her breast.

‘She throws my arms downwards and away.’

Spencer said he is a ‘tactile and huggy’ person.

‘I was just being over friendly, overzealous and overenthusiastic,’ he said.

Spencer had wept in the dock as his wife gave evidence in the trial.

Prosecutor Polly Dyer earlier claimed the assaults took place in the Groucho Club’s Soho Bar area.

She said: ’Both women will give evidence before you and I anticipate [woman one] will describe that she went to the bar when a male she didn’t know started interacting with her.

‘She recalls him asking about her marriage. He was insistent she had a drink and despite saying no several times she ended up sipping a drink he bought her to appease him.

‘He appeared animated, coming across as being under the influence of something. In order to get away from him she said she was going to talk to her husband.

‘She went through a small doorway and he gestured and tried to draw her back into conversation. She felt it was inappropriate and she had made clear she wasn’t interested.

‘She pointed to the terrace saying she was going to see her husband.

‘At some point she returned to the bar, saw [woman two] and went to talk to her.

‘The same male tried to talk to her again. She didn’t want to talk to him and had her back to him.

‘She got drinks and was about to leave the bar. She will tell you that the male put his hands under her arms and touched her breasts.

‘She will tell you she did not consent and it took her completely by surprise. She immediately moved away from him.

‘[Woman two] recalls being at Soho Bar and she’ll describe a male who she did not know continue to try to engage both of them in conversation.

‘She tried to be polite but he made her uncomfortable. She considered the male to be clearly drunk, he was unsteady and slurring.

‘He was insistent on trying to get them a drink and despite declining the male got her the drink. She took a few sips out of what he believed to be a cocktail to try and appease him in the hope he would go away. She did not want to appear rude.

‘She recalls [woman one] become increasingly irritated and leaving.

‘At one point the male approached her also from behind, reached his hands around her and placed both his hands on top of her breasts.

‘She was immediately taken aback and peeled his hands away from her. She too did not consent to him touching her in this way.’

The first woman told the court Spencer touched her for ‘a millisecond’ before she moved away.

She said: ‘Obviously I was uncomfortable because I stepped away closer to my husband.’

The second woman said Spencer had made them uncomfortable by putting his arms around their shoulders before he touched her.

She said she did not recognise the incident when shown the CCTV by defence barrister Eleanor Laws, KC, saying she believed it was busier at the time.

Summing up the case to the jury earlier Mr Justice Garnham said: ‘He describes 12 August 23 as a family-oriented day, taking out the family for a walk before having lunch with his father.’

He said Spencer then went to the Groucho Club to watch a summer rugger international – England was to play Wales.

‘He accepted he consumed alcohol throughout the day, consumed wine at lunch, two pints at the rugby game, had wine at dinner, and two gin-based cocktails at the bar.

‘He accepts that at the end of the day he was intoxicated, describing himself as pissed

‘To his recollection, everyone was enjoying himself…

‘He was tactile in his agreed actions with others… he accepts it is entirely possible he bought drinks for people outside his party, including the complainants.’

The Conservative Party removed the whip from him after he was charged last year and he now sits as an independent MP.

The Groucho is a private members’ club in Soho’s Dean Street. It opened in 1985 and became a well-known haunt of celebrities and media figures.

Spencer, whose full name is Michael Patrick Spencer, previously worked in finance for private equity firm IPGL, a company chaired by his father, former Conservative Party treasurer Lord Michael Spencer.

Spencer, of Suffolk, denied and was cleared of two counts of sexual assault.

After he was cleared by the jury he said outside court: ‘Our shared nightmare is now over. 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. I would like to thank the jury, the court, my legal team and most importantly, my incredible wife, children, family, friends and colleagues – whose support has been unwavering throughout.

‘I would also like to thank my constituents in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, many of whom have reached out to offer their reassuring support.

‘For the time being, I’m looking forward to getting home to see my kids and getting back to work representing my constituents.’

He smiled and ushered his wife into a waiting blacked out Mercedes.
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