Councillor 'touched woman's breast under blouse'

Thom Campion, a Newcastle councillor, denies sexually assaulting the woman at his home

A councillor sexually assaulted a woman he had met through the Only Fans website, throwing her on to a bed and grabbing her breast under her blouse, a court has heard.

Thom Campion, a member of Newcastle City Council, allegedly placed his hand inside the woman's top during the incident at his home and put his fingers down her throat, Newcastle Magistrates' Court was told.

It was claimed Mr Campion, of Newcastle Great Park, also pulled her hair and began calling her names.

The 27-year-old, who represents the Castle ward as an independent, denies sexual assault and was bailed ahead of a trial at the same court on 30 January.

The offence is alleged to have taken place in March 2023, prosecutor Paul Long said.

Mr Campion had invited the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to go upstairs at his home "to look at a teddy bear", Mr Long told the court.

Listing the case for trial, district judge Paul Currer said the key issue would be "one of consent" and whether it had been granted by the woman.

Mr Campion has been a member of the council since 2021, when he won a by-election for the Liberal Democrats following the death of former Newcastle Lib Dem leader Anita Lower. He now sits as an independent.

He stood as a parliamentary candidate for Cramlington and Killingworth at the 2024 general election and previously for the Blyth Valley constituency in 2019, under the name Thom Chapman.