Former Conservative Member of Parliament, Patrick Spencer, has been accused by two women of groping them at London’s Groucho club after allegedly being persistently bothersome. The incidents, which occurred in August 2023, involved Spencer grabbing the women’s breasts from behind in the private members’ club in Soho.
During the trial at Southwark Crown Court, one of the victims recounted feeling “shocked” as Spencer touched her breasts after repeatedly trying to engage her in conversation and buy her a drink. The other victim described feeling frozen as Spencer cupped her breasts in what she described as a forceful manner.
The first woman testified that Spencer had put his arms through hers and touched her breasts as she tried to leave the bar, causing her shock and prompting her to walk away. She characterized Spencer as a persistent annoyance.
Spencer, who was 38 at the time and represented Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, refutes the allegations, claiming he did not touch either woman inappropriately. He lost his Conservative Party membership in Parliament when he was charged with two counts of sexual assault.
The trial heard that Spencer’s behavior led to him being asked to leave the Groucho Club and subsequently being identified from CCTV footage. The prosecution asserted that Spencer appeared unsteady and slurred his words while interacting with the women.
The court viewed CCTV footage showing Spencer with friends in the bar area, where he allegedly grabbed one woman’s breasts before making a hand gesture as she pushed his hands away. The trial continues as Spencer denies the charges against him.
Spencer, also known as Michael Patrick Spencer, was elected as a Conservative MP in the 2024 general election but was suspended from the party and had the whip withdrawn following the assault accusations. In a police interview, Spencer described his conduct as “overfriendly” but denied any inappropriate touching.
