‘My joke backfired,’ claims accused groper

A former Charterhouse pupil accused of groping a venue manager told the court he was just playing ‘a very childish practical joke.’ Alexander Broke-Smith, 23, allegedly sexually assaulted the woman while attending a joint 18th and 21st birthday party in north London with his girlfriend on July 12 last year. The couple were with their friends at the bar when the manager at the north London arts centre came over and asked about the tab. Shipping broker Broke-Smith then cupped…