A Cheshire MP has pleaded guilty to a drunken attack on a man outside a Chinese takeaway in Frodsham.
Mike Amesbury, who represents the Runcorn and Helsby constituency, attended Chester Magistrates Court on Monday (16th January).
The court was shown CCTV footage of the attack, and heard how the 55-year-old politician had been remonstrating with Paul Fellows, 45, shortly after 2am on 26th October.
The pair were both drunk, the court was told, and after a period of several minutes discussing the closure of a swing bridge and other local matters, Amesbury punched Mr Fellows who fell to the ground as a result.
The attack continued, with Amesbury punching him another five times while he lay on the ground, before bystanders pulled the MP off him.
Amesbury could then be heard to say “you won’t threaten the MP again,” a number of times.
Mr Fellows suffered minor injuries – including a lump to his head and a grazed elbow.
Amesbury was suspended from the Labour Party after details of the incident emerged, and now sits as an independent MP.
The court heard he had no previous convictions and had dedicated half of his life to public service.
Amesbury was bailed ahead of a sentencing hearing on 24th February.
In a Facebook post shortly afterwards, he described what happened as “deeply regrettable”.
He has been a Labour MP in Cheshire since 2017 and held a number of shadow ministerial roles between July 2018 and May 2024.
At the general election in July he won his constituency with a majority of 14,696 and a 52.9% vote share.
