Southwark Crown Court has heard allegations that Conservative MP Patrick Spencer groped the breasts of two women without consent during a night out at London’s Groucho club. Prosecutors said he repeatedly tried to get the women to drink with him before allegedly putting his arms around them and touching them, leaving both women shocked. The case matters because it concerns a sitting MP facing serious sexual assault allegations, raising wider questions about conduct in public office and accountability.

According to the prosecution, the alleged incidents took place at the private members’ club in Soho on 8 August, when Spencer was there as a guest. The two women did not know who he was at the time, the court heard, but later identified the 38-year-old Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP using his profile photograph on Parliament’s website. The article reports that the allegations were outlined to jurors as the trial opened, with the court hearing that both women described unwanted physical contact.