DISGRACED MP Mike Amesbury has been jailed after he punched a constituent five times in a late-night brawl.
The Runcorn and Helsby MP lashed out at Paul Fellows then told him: “You won’t threaten your MP again will you, you f***ing soft lad”.
ReutersMike Amesbury was sentenced at Chester Magistrates’ Court today[/caption]
Sky NewsCCTV footage showed the attack in Frodsham[/caption]
Amesbury, 55, who is suspended from the Labour party, was today jailed for ten weeks after he pleaded guilty to section 39 assault.
He will serve 40 per cent of the sentence in prison and spend the rest of it on licence.
The jail term means Amesbury, who bowed his head as he was sentenced, could now lose his seat – triggering a by-election.
Sentencing, deputy senior district judge Tan Ikram said: “In this case an immediate custodial sentence is, in my judgment, necessary as a punishment and a deterrent.”
Amesbury’s lawyer Richard Derby requested to make an appeal for bail, pending an appeal against the sentence, which the judges refused.
The MP, who resigned his Labour membership, previously described the attack as “highly regrettable”.
Footage showed Amesbury attacking Mr Fellows, who he knew from school, in Cheshire in the early hours of October 26.
The court hear the pair had engaged with each other for “several minutes” before the violence erupted at a taxi rank after a night of boozing.
Mr Fellows had recognised Amesbury and approached him to remonstrate about a bridge closure in the town, the court heard.
The MP told him: “It’s got nothing to do with you”.
Mr Fellows then started to walk away but was called back by Amesbury, who shouted out “what” before punching him in the head.
As he fell to the ground, the raging MP punched him again “at least five times” – leaving him with a lump on the head.
He said: “Don’t ever threaten me again.”
Hours earlier, he had posed for photos with the local police commissioner.
Mr Fellows suffered a lump on his head after the attack and superficial soft tissue damage.
The MP previously claimed he was acting in self defence but no longer maintains that, the court heard.
His lawyer, Richard Derby, said Amesbury has experienced “shame and embarrassment” over the attack.
Amesbury, who now sits in Parliament as an Independent, won his seat at the general election in July with a majority of 14,696.
He had served under Labour since 2017 and was a shadow minister between 2018 and 2024.
What does Amesbury’s sentencing mean for Labour?
By Martina Bet, Political Correspondent
MIKE Amesbury has left Labour facing a nightmare by-election battle and has given Nigel Farage’s Reform a golden chance to cause an upset.
Despite Amesbury’s huge 14,696 majority in the quiet Cheshire market town, voter anger over tax hikes, pensions, and migration has fuelled Reform’s surge in the once rock-solid Labour seat.
Farage’s party, which finished second in July’s general election, has already been pounding the pavements of Runcorn and Helsby, sensing a shot at landing its sixth MP.
A shock Reform win would send Westminster into meltdown as it would prove it’s more than just a protest vote and a real threat to Labour.
And for Sir Keir Starmer, losing a by-election just months into Government would be a humiliating blow.
Reform, of course, still faces a mountain to climb, needing a massive swing but even a strong showing is likely to rattle Labour HQ.
The party has already picked off council seats nearby, but can it turn frustration into votes?
Whether Reform wins or not, this by-election will be the biggest test yet of Farage’s threat to Labour’s Red Wall.
Following his plea, a party spokesperson 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.”
Alison Storey, Senior Specialist Prosecutor with the CPS Special Crime Division, said: “This was a persistent assault by Mike Amesbury which continued while the victim was on the floor, offering no aggression.
“The victim was alone and not part of a group and CCTV footage showed that he was not being threatening or aggressive towards Mike Amesbury.
“After the initial punch which knocked the victim to the ground, Mike Amesbury struck the victim at least a further five times while he was on the floor. The CPS will always seek to prosecute violent offences in accordance with our legal test regardless of who the perpetrator is.”
EPAAmesbury will serve 40 per cent of his sentence in prison[/caption]
PAThe MP has been suspended from the Labour Party[/caption]
House of CommonsHis jail term could spell a disaster for Sir Keir[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
