Mike Amesbury told man ‘you won’t threaten your MP again’ after street punch
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Suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury told a man “you won’t threaten your MP again” after punching him in the head with enough force to knock him to the ground, a court heard. At Chester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, Amesbury pleaded guilty to assaulting 45-year-old Paul Fellows in Main Street in Frodsham, Cheshire, in the early hours of October 26 following a dispute about a bridge closure.
CCTV of the attack was shown to the court, with the prosecution saying the Runcorn and Helsby MP punched Mr Fellows at least five times while he was on the ground. Amesbury was suspended from the Labour Party after footage emerged which showed him punching a man.
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. 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.
