Tory MP formally denies sexual assault charges as trial date set
A suspended Conservative MP has formally denied sexually assaulting two women at an exclusive private members’ club in London and will stand trial for the charges next summer.
Patrick Spencer, who has represented Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituents since 2024, is accused of cupping the breasts of two different women over their clothes at the Groucho Club in August 2023.
The MP appeared at Southwark crown court on Monday to give his full name as Michael Patrick Spencer and formally enter not guilty pleas to both counts of sexual assault. He had indicated he would submit not guilty pleas at his first court appearance for the alleged assaults last month.
Judge Baumgartner said Spencer’s trial had been fixed for 13 July next year and that it would last approximately five days.
He told the court: “Because the defendant is a sitting MP this case will be retained by a High Court judge.”
Lawyers acting for Spencer, who is the son of Tory peer Lord Spencer, have previously said that he “categorically denies the charges” and had “co-operated fully with the police investigation from the moment he became aware of it”.
“He will defend the allegations robustly in court,” they added.
Frank Ferguson, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counterterrorism division, said: “It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
The MP was first elected to Parliament at last year’s general election – a year after the alleged incidents occurred – with a majority of over 4,000 votes.
He had previously held various roles at Westminster think tanks. He also worked in private equity for IPGL, a company chaired by his father, and as an adviser to the Department for Education.
The Groucho Club is one of the most famous private members’ clubs in London. It was founded in 1980 and quickly went on to become one of the capital’s top haunts for A-list celebrities in culture, music and the arts.