The neighbour who alerted police about the disturbance at the flat Boris Johnson shares with his partner Carrie Symonds has defended his actions.
Tom Penn said in a statement reported by The Guardian that he recorded the altercation within his own home, adding: “My sole concern up until this point was the welfare and safety of our neighbours. I hope that anybody would have done the same thing.”
Police officers were called to the flat that Johnson shares with his partner, Symonds, early on Friday morning after neighbours heard screaming, shouting and banging at the property.
The altercation could be heard from outside the home which Tory leadership frontrunner shares with former Conservative head of press Symonds, Penn told The Guardian.
In the recording shared with the newspaper, Johnson can be heard refusing the leave the flat and telling Symonds to “get off my fucking laptop” before a crashing noise is heard.
Penn told the newspaper that he heard a woman screaming, “slamming and banging” and telling Johnson to “get off me” and “get out of my flat”.
A day later, he defended his decision to reveal details of the incident to the newspaper, saying: “Once clear that no one was harmed, I contacted the Guardian, as I felt it was of important public interest.
“I believe it is reasonable for someone who is likely to become our next prime minister to be held accountable for all of their words, actions and behaviours.
“I, along with a lot of my neighbours all across London, voted to remain within the EU. That is the extent of my involvement in politics.
“The unpleasant things being said about myself and my partner, and some quite frankly bizarre and fictitious allegations, have been upsetting for not only us, but also for family, friends and fellow Camberwell neighbours, who are currently being harangued by the media.
“I would ask that you leave private citizens alone and focus instead on those who have chosen to run for power within the public eye.”
He had knocked on the door of the flat, located in a converted Victorian house, several times but no one responded, after which they dialled 999.
“There was a smashing sound of what sounded like plates. There was a couple of very loud screams that I’m certain were Carrie and she was shouting to ‘get out’ a lot”
He previously told The Guardian: “I [was] hoping that someone would answer the door and say ‘we’re okay’. I knocked three times and no one came to the door.”
According to The Guardian, Symonds is heard saying Johnson had ruined a sofa with red wine: “You just don’t care for anything because you’re spoilt. You have no care for money or anything.”
The neighbour said: “There was a smashing sound of what sounded like plates. There was a couple of very loud screams that I’m certain were Carrie and she was shouting to ‘get out’ a lot.
“She was saying ‘get out of my flat’ and he was saying no. And then there was silence after the screaming. My wife, who was in bed half asleep, had heard a loud bang and the house shook.”
A van and two police cars arrived just after midnight and left after both people in the flat reassured officers they were okay, the newspaper reported.
A police statement to The Guardian read: “At 00:24hrs on Friday, 21 June, police responded to a call from a local resident in [south London]. The caller was concerned for the welfare of a female neighbour.
“Police attended and spoke to all occupants of the address, who were all safe and well. There were no offences or concerns apparent to the officers and there was no cause for police action.”
It comes just after Johnson won Thursday’s ballot of Conservative MPs in the party leadership contest and is competing against Jeremy Hunt in the battle to become Prime Minister.
Johnson left his wife of 25 years, Marina Wheeler, last September and began a relationship with Symonds. She was part of his team when he launched his bid for the Tory leadership this month.
Security minister Ben Wallace, who is a close ally of Johnson, said in a now-deleted tweet to a Sun journalist: “What a non story ‘couple have row.’ Lefty neighbours give recording to Guardian. Newspaper reaches new low is a better news story”.
HuffPost UK has contacted Johnson for comment.