Suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury pleads guilty to assault

Suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury has pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in the street.

The Runcorn and Helsby MP appeared at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday accused of attacking 45-year-old Paul Fellows in Main Street in Frodsham, Cheshire, which was reported to officers at 2.48am on October 26 last year.

Amesbury was suspended from the Labour Party after footage emerged which appeared to show him punching a man.

He now sits in Parliament as an Independent.

The 55-year-old was summonsed to court to face a charge of section 39 assault after a file was passed to prosecutors on October 29.

Amesbury spoke to confirm his name, date of birth, address and his guilty plea at the beginning of the hearing.

Prosecutor Alison Storey told the court he was heard saying “you won’t threaten your MP again will you” after punching Mr Fellows five times on the floor.

Ms Storey told the court Amesbury initially punched his victim “to the head with enough force to knock him to the ground”.

The prosecutor told the court at about 2am on October 26 last year Mr Fellows was in Frodsham town centre and went to a taxi rank.

He was alone and had been drinking, she said.

Ms Storey said: “Mr Amesbury arrived at the same taxi rank. He too was alone and he too had been drinking.”

The court heard Mr Fellows recognised Amesbury and approached him to remonstrate about a bridge closure in the town.

She said CCTV showed engagement between them over a period of several minutes, but no aggression or raised voices.

She said: “At one point Mr Fellows started to walk away but was re-engaged by Mr Amesbury.”

Amesbury was heard to say “what” a few times before shouting it, the court heard.

Ms Storey said Mr Fellows put his hands in his pockets and turned towards the taxi queue, but when he turned back Amesbury punched him to the head, knocking him to the ground.

He followed him on to the road after he fell and started to punch him again, at least five times, she said.