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

An MP groped two women at the Groucho club in London after they pressured them to drink with him, a court heard.

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Patrick Spencer is accused of drunkenly walking up behind women and putting his arms around them at a 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 picture on Parliament’s website.

Jurors heard both women claimed Spencer put his hands on their breasts without their consent and were left in shock afterwards.

While the investigation into the alleged attacks continues in 2024, Spencer, who was elected as an MP from the Conservative Party, denies touching women’s breasts.

Prosecutor Polly Dyer told the court the incident occurred on August 12, 2023, after guests at the club performed music and drank at the Soho pub in Groucho.

The first alleged victim said a man he didn’t know tried to chat up him and “insisted on having a drink even though he said no several times.”

“He finally sipped the drink he bought for himself to calm her down,” the prosecutor said.

The woman said the man “became animated” and appeared to be drinking, and she walked away from him, but they crossed paths again when he returned to the bar a short time later.

“The same male tried to talk to her again,” Ms Dyer said.

“She didn’t want to talk to him and had her back turned to him.

“She will tell you that the man put his hands under her arms and touched her breasts.

“This took him completely by surprise and he immediately backed away from her.”

Spencer is accused of sexually assaulting a second woman a short time later after he tried to talk to her and made her “uncomfortable.”

Miss Dyer said: “She thought the man was drunk. He was unsteady and had slurred speech.”

The court heard she also agreed to take a sip of the drink the man had supplied her to “calm him down in the hope that he would leave”.

The prosecutor continued: “She will say that at one point the man approached her from behind, put his arms around her and placed both hands on her breasts.

“He was surprised and took his hands off her.”

Jurors heard two women tell each other what happened during their interactions with the same man; Spencer confronted him at the bar and left the Groucho Club with a friend shortly after.

The court heard that a report was made to police in August 2023 but Spencer, who visited Groucho as a guest, was not identified as the person involved until mid-2024.

38-year-old Spencer, whose full name is Michael Patrick Spencer, was elected as a member of parliament from the Conservative Party in the 2024 general elections.

The Suffolk-based politician was suspended from the Conservative Party and had his whip withdrawn last year after accusations of sexual assault were brought.

“This case involves two allegations made by two women that the defendant, Michael Patrick Spencer, touched their breasts on the night of 12 August 2023,” Ms Dyer said.

The court heard that an employee who was a detective at Groucho reviewed CCTV that night and identified the moment the man arrived and matched it with Spencer’s name in the logbook.

Ms Dyer said the Metropolitan Police investigating officer failed to realize that Spencer’s name had been given by Groucho in 2023 and “failed to progress the investigation as quickly as possible”.

The women involved were not asked to give evidence until early 2025, and Spencer was later interviewed by police in March.

The MP said he went to the club with four friends and spent about two hours there before he was asked to leave because he “upset the people who wanted him removed”.

“He described his behavior as overly friendly but did not intend to upset anyone,” Ms Dyer said.

Spencer told police he hugged a friend from behind and did the same to two women he believed were from the same group.

“He stated that his behavior, especially approaching someone from behind and placing his hands on someone he did not know, was not appropriate for this age.

“He said he was drunk but not out of control.

“When she was told that the complainants claimed he had touched their breasts, she said she was horrified that this had happened and that it was inappropriate behaviour.

“He said he didn’t mean to touch them inappropriately.”

The prosecutor said Spencer’s defense was that he never touched her breasts.

Spencer denies two sexual assault allegations.

The trial continues.