Philip Schofield's brother tells of tearful phone call while 'on verge' of taking life

The brother of television presenter Philip Schofield was in tears today as he told a jury how he phoned his brother to tell him he was 'on the verge' of taking his own life. Timothy Schofield is on trial at Exeter Crown Court charged with 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child.

The 54-year-old civilian police worker from Bath is said to have told the This Morning presenter about some of the alleged offending in September 2021. When asked by his barrister Peter Binder whether he had performed sexual acts on the teenager, Schofield replied: “Absolutely not.”

Schofield told the jury he had watched pornography with the boy, who he insisted was aged over 16 at that time, and they had masturbated while sat apart. Giving evidence today (March 30), he told the jury he had been gay his “entire life” but had kept it “completely secret and hidden from everybody”.

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He described this as “incredibly difficult” and told the court he had struggled with mental health problems for years. Schofield wept as he was asked about calling his brother before going to his home in London.

Peter Binder, representing Schofield, asked him: “Phillip described you as being in an extreme state of agitation?” Schofield replied: “Yes. I remember sitting in a field and making the phone call to him.”

Mr Binder asked: “You told him you were on the verge of killing yourself?” Schofield wept as he said: “That’s correct. I was so alone.”

On Wednesday, the court heard a written statement by Phillip Schofield, which described the phone call and his brother coming to his home in London. Mr Schofield