Ex-Labour MP Mike Amesbury says sorry as he could be jailed for street punch

Former Labour MP Mike Amesbury has told his assault victim he is “sincerely sorry” as he potentially faces jail for punching the man to the floor following a dispute about a bridge closure.

Amesbury pleaded guilty to assaulting 45-year-old Paul Fellows in Main Street in Frodsham, Cheshire in the early hours of October 26.

Chester Magistrates’ Court was shown CCTV of the attack, with the prosecution saying the Runcorn and Helsby MP punched Mr Fellows at least five times while he was on the ground.

Speaking after the hearing, Amesbury told reporters: ““I respect the judicial process. It’s highly regrettable, the incident in October.

“I’m sincerely sorry to Mr Fellows and his family.”

District Judge Tan Ikram told Amesbury he was “leaving all options open at this stage” ahead of a sentencing hearing on February 24.

Amesbury could be heard telling Mr Fellows “you won’t threaten your MP again” after punching him in the head with enough force to knock him to the ground.

The court heard Amesbury had initially told police he had “acted in self-defence”.

Amesbury was suspended from the Labour Party after footage emerged which showed him punching Mr Fellows, and he subsequently resigned his membership.

He now sits in Parliament as an Independent.

Alison Storey, prosecuting, told the court that 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.

The court was told that Amesbury replied: “It’s nothing to do with you”.

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

Ms Storey told the court he was then heard saying “you won’t threaten your MP again will you”.

The court heard Mr Fellows suffered a lump to the head and a grazed elbow.

Richard Derby, defending, said the assault was a “momentary incident”.

He said: “Rightly or wrongly, Mr Amesbury interpreted what was being said as no longer a conversation but something to which he thought there was another motive to.”

He set out security measures which Amesbury had in place and said a death threat was sent to his office in November.

Mr Derby added: “Whatever sanction this court will impose upon him, it’s not going to have the effect as what has already happened to him.

“The embarrassment he has suffered, the shame he has suffered, removing the whip from him, a person who has dedicated his life to the public.”

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

If Amesbury is sent to prison or given a suspended sentence he could face the prospect of losing his seat in the Commons.

A sentence of less than a year, even if it is suspended, would leave him liable to the recall process, which would trigger a by-election if 10% of registered voters in his seat sign a petition calling for it.

A jail term of more than a year would mean Amesbury automatically losing his seat.

A Labour Party spokesman said: “It is right that Mike Amesbury has taken responsibility for his unacceptable actions.

“He was rightly suspended by the Labour Party following the announcement of the police investigation. We cannot comment further whilst legal proceedings are still ongoing.”