Actor Stephen Tompkinson has been cleared of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a man he confronted for drunkenly making noise outside his house.
The DCI Banks star was accused of punching Karl Poole in the head after finding him and a friend drinking at the bottom of his driveway in the early hours of May 30 2021.
Mr Poole fell to the ground and broke his skull when his head hit the pavement, Newcastle Crown Court was told.
