MP Mike Amesbury attacked a man in the street after he had ‘remonstrated’ with him about a bridge closure. Amesbury, formerly a Manchester councillor for more than a decade, admitted assaulting Paul Fellows during an incident in the early hours in Frodsham, Cheshire.
The pair, who had both been drinking, became involved in a verbal altercation before Amesbury, 55, punched the 45-year-old to the head. He fell to the floor, and Amesbury then punched him again ‘at least five times’ as he lay on the ground.
Chester Magistrates’ Court was told that Amesbury could be heard to tell his victim: “Don’t ever threaten me again.” He was also heard to say: “You won’t threaten your MP again will you, you f***** soft lad.”
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After Thursday morning’s hearing (January 16), the MP for Runcorn and Helsby apologised for his actions. He was granted unconditional bail until his sentencing hearing next month.
He pleaded guilty to one count of common assault. The offence carries a maximum sentence of up to six months in prison.
District Judge Tan Ikram told him: “I leave all options open at this stage.” Prosecuting, Alison Storey said that Amesbury and Mr Fellows were both at a taxi rank in Frodsham town centre, at about 2am on October 26 last year. Both had been drinking, the court was told.
In his ‘brief’ account of the incident, Mr Fellows said that he had recognised Amesbury and ‘remonstrated with him about a bridge closure’ in the town. Amesbury told him: “It’s nothing to do with me.”
MP Mike Amesbury arrives at court -Credit:Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
Shortly after, Amebsury took a step towards him and punched Mr Fellows to the face, knocking him to the floor. Ms Storey said ‘better evidence’ was provided by CCTV footage, which was played to the court. “There was engagement between the parties over a period of several minutes,” she said.
She said that at one point Mr Fellows began to walk away but that he was ‘re-engaged’ by the MP. Before the first punch, Amesbury could be heard saying ‘what’ a number of times.
After punching him to the ground, Amesbury punched Mr Fellows again ‘at least five times’ as he remained on the floor. Members of the public intervened and pulled Amesbury back. After the attack, the MP said: “Don’t ever threaten me again.”
He added: “You won’t threaten your MP again will you, you f****** soft lad.” The prosecutor said that Mr Fellows ‘didn’t retaliate at all’.
He suffered a lump to his head and complained to the police that night. When he was initially questioned by police, Amesbury claimed that he had been acting in self-defence.
But he entered his guilty plea at his first court appearance today. Defending Amesbury, Richard Derby said that the MP had notified the court of his decision to plead guilty back in November. He described the assault as a ‘momentary’ incident at night.
Describing Amesbury’s reaction to the verbal altercation, Mr Derby said: “Rightly or wrongly Mr Amesbury took it as some form of threat to himself. There was obviously something said which he took umbrage to. The incident is regrettable and it is unfortunate.”
A still from the footage of Mike Amesbury punching a man
In mitigation, Mr Derby told the court that there were matters which the MP has to deal with that the public were ‘not aware of’. He said that Amesbury receives a message every day from the Speaker of the House of Commons and the security services, detailing potential threats against himself and other members of Parliament.
He said the MP’s office has cameras surrounding it and inside for security reasons. He said that in 2019, Amesbury was the victim of an attempted assault which was investigated by the security services as part of Operation Bridger, the overarching operation to protect MPs.
The defence solicitor said that in 2023, a man was sentenced for stalking the MP, in a case where he had to give evidence because the accused contested the offence. Mr Derby also said that in November last year, Amesbury received a death threat sent to his offences which referred to him ‘directly’.
“It’s still an ongoing investigation,” Mr Derby said. He said that Amesbury has to inform the security services of his movements ‘24 hours a day’.
Mr Derby appealed to the judge to pass sentence during today’s court hearing. He questioned the ‘workability’ of a community based sentence given the involvement of security services with Amesbury.
Mr Derby also outlined the MP’s character. He told how he had been a councillor for 11 years and an MP for eight years, as well as being a shadow minister.
“Half of his life has been dedicated to service of the public,” Mr Derby said. “This is the character of the man in front of you.” He said that Amesbury was ‘not a man of considerable means’.
He said that if Amesbury is no longer an MP then his six members of staff will lose their jobs. Mr Derby said that no matter the punishment imposed by the court, it would not be greater than the ‘shame and embarrassment’ he had experienced after being charged, and losing the Labour Party whip in the House of Commons.
MP Mike Amesbury outside Chester Magistrates’ Court -Credit:Ian Cooper/PA Wire
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.”
Judge Ikram said he accepted that the injuries suffered by Mr Fellows were ‘not serious’. But he added: “The victim ended up on the floor, he was further attacked upon the floor. That seems to me to be an additional aggravating factor.”
The judge adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be drawn up by the probation service, to explore sentencing options available to the judge. Amesbury was granted unconditional bail until he is sentenced at the same court on Monday, February 24.
Speaking to reporters outside court following the hearing, Amesbury described the incident as ‘highly regrettable’. He said: “Of course I’m sincerely sorry to Mr Fellows and his family.”
In a statement issued after the hearing, 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.”
Amesbury currently sits in the House of Commons as an independent. If he 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.