Stephen Tompkinson: ‘One of Britain’s finest actors’

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Stephen Tompkinson – regarded as “one of Britain’s finest actors” with almost 40 years on stage and screen – has been cleared by a jury of inflicting grievous bodily harm. Tompkinson told the court the “first thing of any note” he appeared in was TV news sitcom Drop The Dead Donkey, which started in 1990 and ran for nine years. Giving evidence at his trial, Tompkinson said Ballykissangel was “probably the most popular show I’ve done” after reaching 15 million viewers. Arthur McKenzie, a former Northumbria Police detective turned writer, said in his statement: “It was very quickly abundantly clear to me why he is regarded as one of Britain’s finest actors.” His Wild At Heart co-star Hayley Mills said Tompkinson played a vet in the series and worked with “every sort of animal, all of which responded to the calm way he dealt with them”.