Tory MP officially denies the cost of sexual violence as the date of the trial is determined

A deferred conservative parliament member officially denied the sexually attacking two women at an exclusive private member club in London and will be tried next summer.

Patrick Spencer, who has represented the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituents since 2024, was accused of cupping the breasts of two different women on their clothes at the Groucho Club in August 2023.

MP appeared on the Southwark Crown Court on Monday to give his full name as Michael Patrick Spencer and formally entered innocence over the two charges of sexual violence. He has indicated that he would submit an innocent request for his first court performance for the alleged attack last month.

Judge Baumgartner said the Spencer trial had been set for July 13 next year and it would last for about five days.

He told the court: “Because the defendant was a member of the sitting parliament, this case will be detained by the High Court judge.”

The lawyer who acted for Spencer, who was the son of Tory Peer Lord Spencer, previously said that he “firmly denied the accusation” and had “cooperated fully with the police investigation from when he became aware of it”.

“He will defend the accusation strongly in court,” they added.

Frank Ferguson, Head of the Crime and Controlism Division Specifically for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “It is very important that there should be no reporting, comments, or online information that can be harmed by this process.”

MP was first elected as a member of parliament in last year’s general election – a year after the alleged incident occurred – with a majority of more than 4,000 votes.

He previously held various roles in Westminster Think Tank. He also worked in private equity for IPGL, a company chaired by his father, and as an advisor to the Ministry of Education.

Groucho Club is one of the most famous private member clubs in London. It was founded in 1980 and quickly became one of the top ghosts of the capital for A-List celebrities in culture, music, and art.