Labour's suspended MP Mike Amesbury has pleaded guilty to assault by beating in court today after punching a man in a late-night bust-up in Cheshire.
Amesbury admitted to punching 45-year-old Paul Fellows in Main Street in Frodsham, Cheshire, which was reported to police at 2.48am on October 26 last year.
The Runcorn & Helsby MP had the Labour whip removed in late October after multiple videos of the assault emerged on social media.
The 55-year-old was summonsed to Chester Magistrates' Court today to face a section 39 assault charge after a file was passed to prosecutors on October 29 - three days after the attack.
Alison Storey, prosecuting, told the court how Fellows was in Frodsham town centre by himself, and went to a taxi rank after a night out.
He was alone and had been drinking, she said.
Storey said: "Amesbury arrived at the same taxi rank. He too was alone and he too had been drinking."
The court heard that 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.
MORE LABOUR CHAOS:
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.
Storey said 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.
Amesbury followed him onto the road after he fell and started to punch him again at least five times, she said.
Richard Derby, defending, said the assault was a "momentary incident", adding that "rightly or wrongly, 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.
He 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."
District Judge Tanveer Ikram warned that Amesbury could face prison time for the offence - and said he was "leaving all options open at this stage".
"This case is within the high culpability category. I accept that the injury was not serious... The sentencing guidelines suggest a sentence starting point of a high-level community order or a range up to a prison sentence."
Speaking outside the court today, Amesbury told reporters: "I won't make any further comments at this stage. I respect the judicial process. It's highly regrettable, the incident in October - I'm sincerely sorry to Mr Fellows and his family."
He told reporters he would speak further following his sentencing hearing in February.
After the Mail brought CCTV footage of the bust-up to light, a spokesman for Reform UK called for an urgent by-election in Runcorn & Helsby, where the party's Jason Moorcroft came second.
"It's quite clear that the people of Runcorn & Helsby deserve far better than this," they said.
"Reform UK are today calling for Mike Amesbury to do the honourable thing and resign immediately so a by-election can be held."
And just days ago, at the party's North West conference in Chester, which borders Amesbury's constituency, party leader Nigel Farage hinted at the prospect of a by-election in the seat.
Find Out More...
Amesbury admitted to punching 45-year-old Paul Fellows in Main Street in Frodsham, Cheshire, which was reported to police at 2.48am on October 26 last year.
The Runcorn & Helsby MP had the Labour whip removed in late October after multiple videos of the assault emerged on social media.
The 55-year-old was summonsed to Chester Magistrates' Court today to face a section 39 assault charge after a file was passed to prosecutors on October 29 - three days after the attack.
Alison Storey, prosecuting, told the court how Fellows was in Frodsham town centre by himself, and went to a taxi rank after a night out.
He was alone and had been drinking, she said.
Storey said: "Amesbury arrived at the same taxi rank. He too was alone and he too had been drinking."
The court heard that 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.
MORE LABOUR CHAOS:
- Tulip Siddiq QUITS amid corruption allegations despite claiming 'there is no evidence to suggest' she acted improperly
- REVEALED: How Starmer sought damages for a convicted IRA terrorist as Labour paves way for Gerry Adams payout
- Louise Haigh RESIGNS after admitting to fraud conviction as Starmer Cabinet suffers first casualty
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.
Storey said 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.
Amesbury followed him onto the road after he fell and started to punch him again at least five times, she said.
Richard Derby, defending, said the assault was a "momentary incident", adding that "rightly or wrongly, 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.
He 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."
District Judge Tanveer Ikram warned that Amesbury could face prison time for the offence - and said he was "leaving all options open at this stage".
"This case is within the high culpability category. I accept that the injury was not serious... The sentencing guidelines suggest a sentence starting point of a high-level community order or a range up to a prison sentence."
Speaking outside the court today, Amesbury told reporters: "I won't make any further comments at this stage. I respect the judicial process. It's highly regrettable, the incident in October - I'm sincerely sorry to Mr Fellows and his family."
He told reporters he would speak further following his sentencing hearing in February.
After the Mail brought CCTV footage of the bust-up to light, a spokesman for Reform UK called for an urgent by-election in Runcorn & Helsby, where the party's Jason Moorcroft came second.
"It's quite clear that the people of Runcorn & Helsby deserve far better than this," they said.
"Reform UK are today calling for Mike Amesbury to do the honourable thing and resign immediately so a by-election can be held."
And just days ago, at the party's North West conference in Chester, which borders Amesbury's constituency, party leader Nigel Farage hinted at the prospect of a by-election in the seat.
Find Out More...