MP Patrick Spencer ‘groped two women’ at London’s Groucho Club, court told

MP Patrick Spencer ‘groped two women’ at London’s Groucho Club, court told Patrick Spencer, who lives in Suffolk, was suspended from the Tory Party and had the whip withdrawn after the sexual assault charges were brought last year - Bookmark An MP groped two women at London’s Groucho club after pestering them to have a drink with him, a court has heard. Patrick Spencer, the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, is accused of drunkenly coming up behind the women and putting his arms around them at the Soho private members’ club in August 2023. Southwark Crown Court heard the two women did not know the man’s identity, but he was later identified thanks to his profile image on the Parliament website. Both women alleged Spencer placed his hands on their breasts without consent and they were left in shock afterwards, jurors heard. Spencer, who was elected as a Conservative MP in 2024 while the alleged assaults were still under investigation, denies touching the women’s breasts. Prosecutor Polly Dyer told the court the incident happened on August 12 2023, after guests at the club had enjoyed a musical performance and were drinking in the Soho bar within the Groucho. The first alleged victim said a man she did not know tried to start a conversation with her and was “insistent she had a drink despite her saying no several times”. “She ended up sipping a drink he bought her, to appease him”, said the prosecutor. The woman said the man was “animated” and appeared to have been drinking, she moved away from him, but they crossed paths again a short time later when she returned to the bar. “The same male tried to talk to her again,” said Ms Dyer. “She didn’t want to talk to him and she had her back to him. “She will tell you the male put his hands under her arms and touched her breasts. “It took her completely by surprise, and she immediately moved away from him.” Spencer is accused of sexually assaulting a second woman a short time later, after trying to talk to her and making her “feel uncomfortable”. Ms Dyer said: “She considered the male to be drunk. He was unsteady and slurring.” She too agreed to take a sip of a drink the man had provided for her, to “appease him in the hope he would go away”, the court heard. The prosecutor continued: “She will tell you at one point the male approached her from behind, reached his arms around her, and placed both his hands on top of her breasts. “She was taken aback and peeled his hands from her.” Jurors heard the two women told each other what had happened in their interactions with the same man, Spencer was confronted at the bar, and he left the Groucho Club shortly afterwards with a friend. A report was made to police in August 2023 but Spencer, who had visited the Groucho as a guest, was not identified as the man involved in the incidents until midway through 2024, the court heard. Spencer, 38, whose full name is Michael Patrick Spencer, was elected as a Conservative MP in the 2024 general election. The politician, who lives in Suffolk, was suspended from the Tory Party and had the whip withdrawn after the sexual assault charges were brought last year. “This case involves two allegations made by two women that on the night of August 12 2023, the defendant, Michael Patrick Spencer, touched their breasts,” said Ms Dyer. The court heard a worker at the Groucho turned detective to go back through CCTV that night, identifying the moment the man arrived and matching it with Spencer’s name in the sign-in book. Ms Dyer said the Metropolitan Police investigating officer failed to realise in 2023 that Spencer’s name had been provided by the Groucho, and “did not progress the investigation as expeditiously as he might have done”. The women involved were not asked to provide statements until early 2025, and Spencer was then questioned by police in March. The MP said he had gone to the club with four friends, and had spent around two hours there before he was asked to leave because he had “upset people who had asked for him to be removed”. “He described his behaviour as being overfriendly but without any intent to upset anyone,” said Ms Dyer. Spencer told police he had hugged a friend from behind and did the same to the two women, believing they were part of the same group. “He described his behaviour as not appropriate in this day and age, specifically approaching someone from behind and putting his hands on someone he did not know. “He said he had been drunk but not out of control. “When told that the complainants alleged he had touched their breasts he said he was appalled that that’s what happened, and it was inappropriate behaviour. “He said it was not his intent to touch them inappropriately.” The prosecutor said Spencer’s defence is that he did not touch their breasts at all. Spencer denies two counts of sexual assault. The trial continues.