Stephen Tompkinson shared his reaction after he was found not guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Karl Poole.
The Ballykissangel and DCI Banks actor, 57, was accused of punching Mr Pool and causing "traumatic brain injuries" following an alleged incident outside Mr Tompkinson's home in the early hours of May 30, 2021.
On Thursday, a jury at Newcastle Crown Court found Tompkinson not guilty of assault causing grievous bodily harm, after a trial which began on May 3.
The actor - who was previously in a four-year relationship with co-star Dervla Kirwan - had consistently denied punching Karl Poole, 48, in an early morning row two years ago.
A jury at Newcastle crown court cleared him after a four-day trial. Tompkinson, 57, was arrested by police on May 30, 2021, the day that he allegedly punched Poole who had fallen down near the driveway of the property in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.
After the verdict was read out Mr Tompkinson breathed a sigh of relief.
The actor was asked for his reaction to the verdict outside the court, to which he said: "I just want to go home."
Meanwhile, accuser Mr Poole slammed the verdict as he said: "It is a bit of a shock to be honest.
"My initial reaction is that is is disappointing. I feel it is the wrong verdict. I am still not quite right in terms of my health," he added.
During the trial, the jury heard that he had come out of his home in pyjama bottoms and a dressing gown to find Mr Poole and his pal Andrew Hall 'falling about drunk'.
The actor was accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Poole, who suffered 'traumatic brain injuries' after falling to the ground and cracking his head.
But he said: "It would have been career suicide to do something as outrageous as an assault." The star admitted he had missed out on parts and been unable to work as he waited two years for the case to come to court.
He told the jury: "I am not working at the moment. This charge has been hanging over me. Yes, absolutely I have to work. I am not trying to compare my situation to the injury Karl suffered, they don't compare.
"I had been told (by TV companies) that any association would be put on hold. I did not have anything to gain from assaulting Karl Poole."
Judge Paul Sloan, the Recorder of Newcastle, told the jury that they had to decide to accept his version of events of the one given by a neighbour who said she had seen him throw a punch.
Caroline Davidson told the court last week that the star hit Mr Poole with a 'slap, and then a punch' which she witnessed from her bedroom window, around 100ft from the scene of the incident.
The star went out after hearing 'groans interspersed with laughter' from the two men as he was concerned they would wake his girlfriend and her child. He was up early, as he was regularly required to rise and go to bed 'with the sun' while filming Wild at Heart in Africa.
Under cross examination, Mr Tompkinson said: "I did not apply any excessive force that would have caused any sober person to fall over. From the direction he came from, I would have sent him in the opposite direction.
"There was no left punch from me whatsoever and nor were there any corresponding injuries on Karl's face. There is no evidence of a punch because one never took place.
"His head injury had nothing to do with me whatsoever. I am not responsible for Karl's double skull fracture, that's why he went off in the direction he did, he fell in a completely different direction because of the amount of drink that he had.
"That has led my neighbour to believe that I punched him, there is no physical evidence to show that because it did not happen."
Questioned by police, he said that he put his hand on Andrew's right cheek 'just to halt him' and turned back again to see Karl because he was out of his vision, 'pushing him away' with a right hand to his face, but not punching him.
He told police that a bruise on his left hand had been caused by 'putting a fitness bag together' three days before.
He told the jury it was for the seven-year-old son of his girlfriend, who was living with them at the property. He was concerned in case the bottle of Jagermeister which the two men were carrying might smash on the driveway where the youngster played.
The writer Andy Hamilton, and actors Hayley Mills and Nichola McAuliffe were among those giving witness statements for the star.
